


Moonlight à Trois

by tenspetal



Series: Moonlit Nights [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha Lee Jeno, Alpha Na Jaemin, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Confident Na Jaemin, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Family Issues, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Huang Ren Jun & Lee Donghyuck | Haechan Are Best Friends, Huang Ren Jun-centric, Knotting, Lee Jeno is Whipped, M/M, Mating Bond, Minor Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Multi, Na Jaemin is Whipped, No mpreg, Oblivious Huang Ren Jun, Omega Huang Ren Jun, Pining, Possessive Behavior, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:13:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 29
Words: 107,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25944139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tenspetal/pseuds/tenspetal
Summary: Renjun had spent the years since presenting as an omega living a life that he didn't want. He craved to hunt, to fight, to protect. Basically all of the things an omega was not supposed to do.Omegas were expected to be quiet, to obey their superiors, and clean up after their alphas. But, male omegas? They weren't even supposed to exist. At least, that's what his father thought.So, what happens when the tide turns on its head and Renjun ends up in a place where omegas are not only respected, but revered? And what is he supposed to do about the two alphas who, for some reason, smell really damn good?
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun & Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno, Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Lee Taeyong/Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Series: Moonlit Nights [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2101086
Comments: 1117
Kudos: 2464





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hihi! I hope you enjoy this self indulgent norenmin abo fic!
> 
> ＼（＾○＾）人（＾○＾）／
> 
> (also I don’t have a beta so I apologize for mistakes!)

Renjun wrung the shirt out in the river before beating it against the sunned rock next to him a few times, placing it into the wicker basket, and then picking up the next dirty article of clothing he was to wash. He was surrounded by the other omegas who were lined up down the river bank washing the pack’s clothing. As the only male doing the laundry, he stuck out like a sore thumb. 

Each time he was labored with a task like this one, he simply craved to do something more. He grew weary easily, and tired of the job.

An omega job, as everyone deemed it.

The fact that alphas and betas weren't required to learn how to wash their own clothing disgusted Renjun, but that was just ‘the way things were’ according to his father. 

And also everyone else around him.

Being an omega was already hard enough, especially when all Renjun wanted to do was improve his skills in how to hunt, how to fight, how to protect his family.

Omegas were to be docile, to obey and listen to their alphas according to his pack. But, being the only male omega on top of that? Those dreams were impossible.

Apparently, male omegas were much more of an anomaly than anyone else, so considering the small size of their camp of wolves, he was _definitely_ the odd one out. Some kind of strange enigma that most of them couldn’t figure out.

Hell, Renjun couldn’t even figure his own self out.

The pack healer said that she had read somewhere once that male omegas used to be able to become pregnant years and years ago, but now it was no longer the case. In short, he had every trait of an omega except the sole one that was considered useful to his pack.

So, he was basically nothing. An unnecessary member who attributed absolutely _nothing_. A deadweight. A waste of space.

These were all things he heard almost daily from everyone but his mother. She would sing him soft praises instead. Making sure that in the smallest and rarest of times they were together that he knew she was always there to love and support him.

His father was third in command of their pack; he was a beta that desperately wished to be an alpha. Pheromones constantly being pushed to their extremes to try and appear more masculine, more demanding. He was the harshest on Renjun since he wouldn’t be able to live vicariously through his son due to his omega status, and also to make sure everyone knew how disapproving he was of Renjun’s existence.

Their pack was already weak on the alpha front, and all of the other pups his spring had been female. So the hope for an alpha was placed solely on his back.

Of course, there were female alphas that existed. 

Unfortunately, they were about as rare as male omegas, so it was no surprise that their pack lacked them entirely. 

When Renjun came into the picture, there was so much excitement surrounding his birth and the fact that there was the possibility for a new alpha. Even if he presented as a beta, another adult male able to fight alongside the pack was always welcomed.

His father doted on him and adored him his entire childhood, teaching him how to hunt and fight both in wolf form and out of it with weapons and his fists alike. Renjun was his dad’s prized possession, and as he grew up, Renjun was never truly unhappy.

When he was seventeen and went into heat, his father’s demeanor snapped, changing in a second.

Gone was the caring and attentive father. He had been replaced by the physical embodiment of disappointment.

Renjun’s body had been heating up, a fever warring through him, while his father and the pack alpha surrounded him in their small rectangular tent, waiting and praying for the heat to break into a rut. But, when his body started preparing him to be mated and not the other way around, they both stared down in absolute disgust.

His father had spit out some kind of insult that went over Renjun’s head as he was in the most pain and confusion he had ever felt. When the entrance of the tent opened in a flurry, Renjun’s mother was there, holding his hand and crouching beside his pile of furs. She helped him through the next three days by bringing him food and keeping him cool with wet rags, not forgetting to hold his hand when a particularly bad wave of pain rushed through him.

She had made sure that he knew that the first one was always like this, and after the fact it got much less painful and generally just more annoying. Promising to tell him more about it all, his mother simply tucked him in and Renjun remembered drifting off promptly.

When he had awoken, it was to the harsh glare of his father and his even harsher words.

_A sad excuse for a son._

_How can you even be a man when you’re a bitch in heat?_

_A disgusting abomination in my household._

Words like those, and also much harsher, drowned him in waves of disappointment that rolled off of his father.

Next came the silence, which Renjun would soon find out was the best he could have hoped for from his father.

At the time, he had wanted nothing more than to speak to him, but the older beta would avoid Renjun. If he did happen to run into him, it was accompanied with his dad raking him over, a cold, hard cold stare in place. The silence in their small home had been suffocating; if there ever was a noise it was simply the soft sobs of his mother.

Finally, came the utter and complete lack of viewing Renjun as his son.

His father often said he had no children. That Renjun was just the omega who helped clean the tent they lived in. He was also no longer allowed to stay with them at night being kicked out to one of the small, flimsy tents on the edge of their camp.

Since then, Renjun had gotten used to being alone.

For years he would meet his mother in secret when his father went out to hunt or patrol their land, but other than that he was silent. Speaking only when spoken to, to avoid even more negative attention, but all the while he was brimming with passion and anger.

Renjun knew he was still strong, in fact after presenting he felt his body become more resilient and he found it easier to build up muscle. Often sneaking out at night to practice his fighting in the woods, Renjun made sure that if worse came to worse he would be able to still help protect them all.

Especially his mother. He would rather die than see her injured, and Renjun would absolutely be willing to lay his life down for her.

Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that.

As soon as he finished his assigned pile of clothing, making sure all residual gross alpha smell was out of them, Renjun grabbed his basket and began to walk up the small hill to where they hung the clothes to dry.

It was very common for his pack to pick up their tents and move every month or so. Since their defenses were so weak, it helped to constantly be changing their trail, not staying in one place for too long.

Where they currently had decided to reside was hands down the most gorgeous plot of land his pack had lived on in quite some time. 

An open glade dotted with wildflowers was surrounded on all sides by a dense forest that once you broke through in the east led to a healthy stream and rolling hills dotted with patches of blackberry bushes.

Everyone seemed to be in agreement that this was the best location as well. They were nearing two and a half months of staying in this one place, and many of the pack members figured that their alpha would decide to take permanent residence here, since even he was hesitant to leave.

Renjun often snuck out to listen to the nightly meetings of the four highest ranking wolves as they gathered in the center of the camp surrounding the fire. They had been debating for weeks now on if they should move on from this location or not.

For some reason, the second in command alpha was always adamant about leaving and moving on, constantly on edge at these meetings, but the head alpha shut him down every time. Claiming that his pack was happy here, so it wouldn’t hurt anyone to spend a bit of extra time in one place. They had always been careful, so they could afford to be a bit selfish for once, he would say.

At the top of the hill, Renjun observed the beginning sunset, the sky teetering on twilight. Quickly securing the clothes he had washed to the line, Renjun began to skitter down the hill in the opposite direction where some of the thick blackberry bushes gathered.

This patch was hidden a bit farther into the woods on the outside of the glade, so it was never touched by the pack. He was able to keep as many as he wanted for himself, and would often make small jars of jams and leave them outside of his mother’s tent when he knew his father had already left in the mornings.

Today he planned on being selfish, though.

Using his large basket, Renjun hummed as he picked over all of the ripe berries. It had been his birthday just a few days prior, and he had been so busy with omega tasks, he was unable to celebrate with himself. So, Renjun was going to have a berry harvest. Planning to gorge himself on the tart fruit until his stomach hurt, and he couldn’t be more excited.

He couldn’t help the soft smile that crossed his face when he had finally finished and scaled the hill once more, settling at the top after counting the clothing to make sure everyone was done down at the river and he wouldn’t be disturbed.

The sun was now kissing the horizon as it began to say goodnight, and Renjun planned on spending his night with the stars. Star gazing was one of the few things he loved, as it showed just how wide the universe was. It allowed his mind to travel to somewhere else where he wasn’t treated like the dirt on the bottom of someone’s shoe. It was far too easy to let his imagination take him away, which was exactly what he planned on doing that night.

So, when his lips became stained a bright red from berries and he had begun to see the lights in the sky, Renjun closed his eyes and let his mind dream.

He was able to fight, a strong warrior not viewed as someone weak just because he was an omega and small in stature. He was loved and appreciated, and an equal part of a pack. A family.

Mind wandering, Renjun let the cool night breeze run across his skin sending goose bumps up and down his arms. With the thought that this had been the best birthday he’d had in years, his mind succumbed to sleep.

A piercing scream shattered through the thin veil of contentment Renjun had allowed to surround him. His first thought was that it was a prank to scare him. It wouldn’t be the first time one of the alpha’s sons found him in a vulnerable position and took advantage of that to attack or frighten him. Sometimes he believed the few other kids his age had a bet on who could make Renjun’s scent turn the most frightened, so he didn’t allow himself to become too panicked right away, not wanting to give them the satisfaction.

It was only when Renjun’s sensitive ears picked up the sounds of what seemed like hoards of paws padding incessantly across the forest ground that fear began to spread throughout him. The first thing he thought of was his mother.

Stripping himself of his wool shirt as he ran, Renjun jumped and changed into his wolf form, light rusty brown with almost fox-like ears and deep auburn across his paws and snout. He was rather fast, so it didn’t take long at all for him to reach their camp and he saw just exactly what had been going on.

In the center next to the large bonfire, Renjun spotted the pack alphas going against other alphas that had to have been twice their own size. It didn’t take a genius to know that there was no way they would win this fight, so he steered clear of the main brawl and sprinted to his mother’s tent on the opposite side of the glade.

Since his wolf was rather small and had a darker coat, he was able to blend in with the tall grass going unnoticed. When he got to the tent, he shifted and immediately threw the flaps of the tent open and found his mother shaking in the corner, her arms wrapped around herself.

“Mom!” Her eyes shot up immediately, taking Renjun in and a thick sense of relief spread over her features.

“Renjun. Oh thank god,” she sobbed out, staggering to her legs to pull him into a hug.

“We have to go. There’s no way we will win this fight. I saw their wolves and they’re-“ Renjun gulped as a shiver of terror traveled up his back.

Turning slowly around, he spread his arms out to hide his mother behind him when the smell of a foreign wolf, obviously alpha, began to drift inside their tent from the outside. A large, deep mahogany brown wolf poked his nose in, sniffing the air. Gritting his teeth, Renjun planted his feet in a fighting stance, ready to shift in the blink of an eye.

When the wolf spotted them, his eyes locked onto Renjun’s before sniffing the air once more and emitting a low growl. He could practically taste the waves of panic coming from his mother behind him, so Renjun did the only thing he could. He charged.

Since the wolf hadn’t come into the tent fully, just his head, the alpha tumbled backwards when Renjun sprinted at him full force and knocked him back outside. With the element of surprise on his side, Renjun ran a short distance before shifting back to his wolf and turning on his heel to lunge at the other.

It was obvious that the wolf had smelt the omega on Renjun and had underestimated him right away. Surprise was full in his eyes when Renjun leapt onto the larger, aiming for his throat. A fatal move.

When instinct finally seemed to come back to the other wolf, he shifted to the right sharply, dodging Renjun’s attack. Renjun wasn’t stupid, and he figured that this would be the case, seeing as he favored his right side when he had been standing, so he turned at the last second and latched his canines into the mahogany wolf’s shoulder. A howl of pain ripped through the other’s throat before he rolled onto his side where Renjun was latched on, effectively shaking him off and knocking the wind out of his chest. The alpha’s jaw snapped out, aiming to pin Renjun to the ground, but he was quick.

Renjun rolled the opposite direction, scrambling back up onto all fours as the other turned and growled deeply at him. Even though Renjun made sure to practice as often as possible, without getting any training in actual combat against other wolves, his stamina was severely outmatched by the alpha’s.

Panting and chest heaving, Renjun made another lunge for the dark wolf, missing and getting a sharp bite into his hind leg instead. He couldn’t help the high pitched yelp that came out of him at the pain as he tried to thrash out of the other’s hold.

He had to try harder. He had to protect his mother.

Ripping his leg out of the other’s mouth, he was able to throw himself onto the back of the alpha and bite deeply into the thick pelt on his back. He could tell from his hold that his teeth hadn’t sunken in very deep, but he hung on like his life depended on it. Which it probably did.

Thrashing around, the other wolf tried to knock Renjun off to no avail. He knew as soon as he let go the alpha would have him pinned on the ground and it would be over, so Renjun clenched his jaw even tighter making the dark wolf growl so loudly, it sent an intense shiver through his body.

Every fiber in the omega part of his biology was telling him to submit. To let go. That he was disobeying an alpha, but the stronger part of his mind that knew he was protecting his mother outweighed it.

Too focused on not letting go, Renjun didn’t hear another alpha quickly approaching from behind them. So when a body slammed into him, making Renjun lose his grip on the wolf, he tumbled off, banging his chest harshly against a sharp rock in the process making him cry out.

“Renjun!” He heard his mom call from the tent entrance.

Trying to stand up, Renjun’s legs were shaky only a breath away from collapsing. He had to protect; he wouldn’t let them kill his mother. They could kill him first.

But, even if he had been trained properly, two grown alphas were far too much for one omega that was barely a third of their size. The wolf that had knocked him off the back of the alpha, easily pinned him underneath his midnight black paws, pressing him into the ground. His canines came around his neck, poised to kill. A checkmate.

One bite and Renjun was dead.

Instead he saw the other alpha that had come into their tent shift next to him, and stare down at Renjun’s ragged wolf.

“Shift.” The alpha commanded. He was tall and his body was lean and built of muscle. Hair the same mahogany brown as his wolf, and his eyes were a warm golden brown.

Renjun huffed in defiance because he knew as soon as he shifted it was truly over. He would be cornered and his mother would be in danger. The alpha’s eyes flashed a crimson at his opposition.

“Shift.”

His voice came out deeper and authoritative and Renjun closed his eyes tight forcing the wetness in them to stay at bay. Letting his body slowly transition back to his human form, he felt even smaller underneath the midnight black alpha that still had him pinned down. The omega in him was truly terrified and the reality of the whole situation finally began to sink into Renjun.

Body starting to tremble uncontrollably, Renjun realized that this was it. He was going to die and his mother would have to see it, and then she would be next.

A soft sob came out from his lips as he continued to shake when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Renjun had yet to open his eyes, afraid to see the actuality of just how dire this moment was.

“Jeno, move off of him.” He heard the alpha order, and the wolf atop him huffed out in annoyance before shifting away. Renjun was still paralyzed in fear, so when a hand moved his hair from out of his face, he couldn’t help the sharp gasp that left his lips.

“W-what are you doing?” Renjun whispered, his eyes finally shooting open to face the other who had leant down next to him.

“You’re severely hurt. We need to get you to our healer.”

“W-wh-what?” His body was quivering so hard, his words shook with him.

“Your chest,” the alpha gestured down to where Renjun had crashed against the rock earlier as he finally noticed his wound. A gash was carved just below his right pec, already bleeding quite a bit.

Due to his adrenaline, Renjun hadn’t felt the searing pain, but now there was nothing holding it back as he began to sob loudly, whining. The alpha sent him a concerned and disappointed look, before he turned to the other wolf still beside them.

“Jeno, can you take him to the healer?” Nodding, the wolf shifted into a broad, muscled boy with hair as black as his wolf’s. He closed the small distance and gently picked Renjun up from the ground, securing him in his arms.

“M-my m-mom,” Renjun breathed between the small cries coming from his lips. His head lulled to the side, as he shot his gaze back to their tent where his mother was frozen in shock.

“I’ll take care of her, I promise.” The alpha said with conviction in his voice. Renjun would have combated him, but he was so overwhelmed and in so much pain he felt himself teetering on the edge of consciousness. So, he did all he could which was nod silently, his neck and limbs slack in the alpha, who was apparently named Jeno’s, arms.

At the signal from the other, Jeno began to move as briskly as he could without jostling Renjun too much. Each time his eyes began to drift close, Renjun would jolt back to consciousness at a sharp movement from the alpha carrying him.

“Sorry,” the alpha muttered after the third time it happened. “We just need to get you there fast. Don’t know if your rib is broken or something.”

“Why?” Renjun’s throat and lips were dry as he used all of his energy to turn his head to look up into the alpha’s eyes.

“You’re hurt. We won’t just leave you there to die. We may have attacked your pack, but we had good reason to. We’re not evil.” Renjun’s eyes fluttered shut again, his head falling back uncomfortably.

“S-sure. What-whatever,” Renjun inhaled a wobbly breath through his teeth.

“You’re a really good fighter. Are you your pack’s head warrior?” The alpha asked. Renjun tried to decipher and see if there was any sarcasm or teasing in his voice, but he found nothing but sincerity.

“No. I’m-I’m an omega,” he scoffed as well as he could at the idea of what Jeno had implied. It was absolutely ridiculous, the thought of his pack ever letting him be a fighter.

“So? You’re still a good fighter. You took our pack alpha’s son on and didn’t immediately get pinned to the ground. There is a good group of our own warriors who can’t do what you did.”

“Pack alpha’s son?” Renjun asked, his eyes opening in shock. He had known the other wolf was an alpha, but if he was really the pack alpha’s son, that meant he would be the pack alpha someday.

And he had been able to hold his own against him?

“Yeah. Jaemin, the brown wolf,” Jeno nodded. Glancing down to Renjun, looking at him with smiling eyes. “It’s nice to have someone put him in his place, though. I’m sure he’ll be beating himself up about it for weeks,” the alpha giggled at the thought. And even though Renjun didn’t know this wolf, and this entire situation was such a mess, he couldn’t help but to smile smugly at that.

“I’m glad I could show him then.” Renjun leaned into Jeno’s rumbling chest that shook with deep laughter. “Why did you attack us?” He asked in a hushed tone, afraid of the answer.

He felt the alpha’s pheromones increase with anger, making Renjun whimper at being so close to the source, his head trying to fall back so that he could submit.

“Don’t worry. You’ll find out soon. It’s good that you don’t know why, so just enjoy the peace for now.” Renjun snorted at that, forcing his attitude to bleed out over the alpha’s scent.

“Peace? Yeah having my entire pack murdered sure is peaceful.”

“We don’t kill anyone unless it’s an ‘us or them’ situation. So, you only need to worry if any of your pack members are stupid and try to take us on. Otherwise they should be fine.”

“Well, they’re all stupid, so,” Renjun muttered out, his eyelids fluttering. He was pretty sure Jeno had begun to laugh again and answer back with his own quip, but his head was growing heavier by the moment.

Everything began to feel like it was spinning, and the sharp pain in his chest suddenly increased as he sobbed out a cry which only made it hurt more.

“Are you okay? Hey!” Somewhere in the back of his subconscious he heard the alpha calling out to him, but Renjun was just so tired he couldn’t focus.

He really needed sleep, and maybe just a small nap would be okay for now. The alpha didn’t smell that bad anyways. Hopefully, he wouldn’t mind if Renjun just drifted off for a few minutes.

Letting his consciousness slip away, Renjun’s entire body went lax in Jeno’s arms. The last thing he felt was the alpha beginning to move in a full on sprint, much faster than he had before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! ^^
> 
> comments and kudos are more than welcome here! <3


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting chapter two already because the first one was received so well and so quickly, too! Thank you all! <3

“Yes, he attacked me, but I didn’t do _that_. He’s an omega, a beautiful one at that, I couldn’t hurt him even if I wanted to,” a serious voice echoed throughout Renjun’s head as consciousness slowly sank back into his body.

“But, a rock cutting that deep? Jaemin, do not lie to me. This could be imperative information. I promise I won't judge you if you-“

“I said I didn’t.” A growl ripped its way from the wolf.

Renjun could tell he was an alpha because of the way an overpowering scent of strength and irritability washed over him. It was so strong, and Renjun could tell that whoever else was with them had begun to regret what they had said.

The pheromones were so potent, and Renjun’s body still felt so weak that he couldn’t help but to whimper pathetically and sniffle as if it was him that the alpha was mad at. He knew he wouldn’t be able to fight anymore right then; his body was far too exhausted and beaten down to win. So, all he could do was wait for this alpha to get mad at him next and attack.

“Hey, it’s okay. Hey,” a gentle voice called as a much more soothing feeling began to sink into Renjun’s skin. There was a twinge of basil and sharp clove in the air and it smelt so good that he couldn’t help but to turn his head towards the source to better inhale the scent.

When Renjun’s eyes fluttered open, he was face to face with the alpha he had tried to take down. The one that had promised he would take care of his mother. What had that other wolf said his name was? Jaemin?

“How are you feeling?” The alpha asked, concern in his eyes.

“Where am I?” Renjun murmured out, words stringing together.

“You’re in our healing center,” the other person who was in the room answered. Looking over, Renjun could tell just by looking at the other that he was a beta. He had a kind face and a clean scent, something like cotton.

Taking in his surroundings, Renjun realized they were in some kind of large cabin of sorts that had several cots lined up against the back wall, where he was currently. There was a small desk space near the door, and in the very back of the room there was a bookshelf that stretched to the ceiling near several pouches that were strung up across rope and hanging from the wall. Each pouch had some kind of label on it, but from where Renjun was, he couldn’t quite make out what they said.

When he turned back to face the others, a sharp pain shot up his side making him hiss out in discomfort. The intense ache in his muscles and the jagged rivulets of agony across his right ribs brought the memories of what had happened last night.

Was it even last night? How long had he been out?

_Where was his mother?_

“Fuck! Where’s my mom,” he turned to Jaemin an accusing and harsh glare on his face. When the alpha didn’t respond right away, Renjun threw the covers off of his body and swung his feet over the edge of the cot.

They had thankfully put him back into some clothes, but he wasn’t sure just how far he could make it. Both of the other two were trying to chorale him back into bed, but Renjun wouldn’t have any of it, no matter how bad the pain was.

Grasping his side, Renjun ducked and weaved around the alpha, sprinting on wobbly legs through the door and not looking back. Even injured, Renjun’s speed was not something to be questioned.

They were on the top of a small sloping hill where another, smaller cabin sat next to the one he had just broken free from. Trees were woven throughout the land below him, with each grassy break in the foliage occupied by a similar looking cabin. Some of said cabins were much smaller than others, but none of them compared to the one farthest away from him. It had to have been at least two stories tall and it was larger than all of the tents in his old camp combined.

Breaking from his stupor of looking at the impressive layout of the land, Renjun began to propel himself down the hill. It was a good thing it wasn’t too steep, because Renjun’s balance was not what it usually was.

“Hey, wait! You’re hurt!”

“Yeah, no shit!” Renjun yelled back at the alpha as he barreled on, ducking around the thin clusters of trees, sprinting behind the wooden shacks. Every so often he would pass a random person who stared at him like he was a maniac, but none of them moved to stop him.

Continuing to scent the air, Renjun stumbled when he caught the smallest whiff of his mother’s rosy scent that was similar to his own.

“Mom!” He yelled, cringing harshly when his side began to throb. Where he was holding his hand against the wound, his palm and shirt began to grow damp. Renjun knew he was probably bleeding, having reopened the gash, but he refused to stop and look.

“I swear! Just fucking— slow down, please!” The same voice sounded closer to him now, but as soon as he got onto his mother’s trail, he felt reinvigorated, letting the adrenaline take over his body.

Another scent that seemed vaguely familiar, something like lemon and rosemary, drenched his senses, the comforting smell of his mother washed away. Beginning to panic, Renjun swiveled around desperate to catch her trail again, only to see the alpha fast approaching, a look somewhere between anger and worry on his face.

Renjun knew what angry alphas were like, he had far too much experience with them, so he turned on his heel ready to run when muscled arms circled him as gently as they could without also giving him room to escape. It was a wall of rosemary, and when Renjun looked up, he recognized the black haired alpha, Jeno, who wore a stern look on his face.

Two angry alphas? Renjun was screwed.

Gasping, he clutched his side harder, finally daring to look down at the wound. When he saw the rusty stain under his fingers, it finally hit him just how light headed he was.

“My,” Renjun gasped, “mom?” He tried to convey to Jeno, as the alpha had at least seemed genuine when he had carried him before.

“Your mom is safe,” he reassured, although his face was still set in hard lines. An overpowering clove scent came up from behind him, grasping him securely by the shoulders.

“I don’t... believe you,” it was nearly impossible for Renjun to get the words out. Not only overwhelmed by his pain, but also being sandwiched between two mate-aged alphas who were drowning the entire area in their scent was far more than simply distracting. He had never experienced anything like it before, and the staggering amount of aromas, that for some reason seemed extremely appealing, washing over him was going to make him pass out.

“If you come back to Kun with me, I promise we’ll bring your mother to visit you in the healing center,” the alpha called Jaemin swore. But the angry undertone that was still rolling off both of them, made him worry.

“M-my mom,” Renjun began to wobble, going lax against Jeno. He didn’t miss the severe look Jaemin shot Jeno when Renjun allowed his body to recline against his, but he figured that just meant they were both planning on killing him.

“We swear we’ll bring her. Please, you’ll bleed out,” the voice of the alpha holding him whispered encouragingly as Renjun felt himself wrapped in warmth.

“O-okay. Can’t walk-“ Renjun had started before Jeno bent down to hold him the same way he had last night. The other alpha stared at them, huffing before turning and leading the way back to the cabin he had run from.

Renjun didn’t realize just how far he had gone until Jeno had to lug him what seemed to be the entire way across their camp. He was strangely proud of himself for having been able to outrun the pack alpha’s son for that long, even while he was injured.

“What’s your name?” said alpha’s son asked.

“Why,” Renjun croaked, making Jaemin look at him with a puzzled expression.

“Well, uh, because you’re probably going to be a part of our pack now? Which means I’m your future alpha; shouldn’t I know your name?” The tiniest of growls began reverberating in Jeno’s chest at Jaemin’s alpha comment, but Renjun ignored it to focus on something far more important.

“Excuse me? Part of _your pack?”_

“I mean, yes? There’s nowhere else for you to go, so-“ Renjun cut him off with a scoff that immediately made him wince which caused Jeno to hold him tighter.

“What do you mean nowhere else to go?”

“Would you want to go back to your old pack?” Jaemin’s voice was small as he monitored Renjun’s face closely. The omega couldn’t help the waterfall of emotions across his features and he knew both of the alphas already had their answer.

When they arrived back at the healing center, Jeno gently laid Renjun back down onto the cot from which he had escaped. The person who was obviously their pack healer looked so unbelievably relieved that it confused Renjun.

“I’m so glad you’re okay, but I’m afraid we’ll have to stitch you up since you ripped the gash open again,” the doctor, who Renjun had found was named Kun, said.

“Stitch…” the omega breathed as he allowed himself to relax back onto the pillows bellow his head. It wouldn’t be the first time he had to get them, but they always stung like a bitch. “Okay,” he nodded steeling his resolve.

Kun helped him remove his shirt, wincing when the part of it that had stuck to his skin because of the blood was pried off. Renjun sat against the wall very aware of two pairs of eyes on him, but he was actively choosing to ignore the alphas that were becoming more and more strange as the minutes ticked by.

Right when Kun had knelt down to begin, the door opened and there stood a beautiful woman and also his mother. A shock wave of relief shot through Renjun as his eyes immediately began to swell with tears.

“Mom!” He hiccuped out, sobbing and arms stretched towards her. His mother reacted the same, her eyes already brimming with wetness and tinged with red.

“Baby, my baby,” she crooned, coming across the room to cradle Renjun against her chest. “My sweet, brave baby. Why would you put yourself in harm’s way for me? Why, why?” Renjun hiccuped when he tried to respond.

“I can’t lose you, you know that. I’d do anything to protect you.”

Renjun was aware of just how tender a moment it was that they were sharing, but he didn’t care that they had a small audience. All that mattered was that she was safe and sound.

After a minute or so, Kun cleared his throat awkwardly causing the two to split from one another. It was then that the ache and sting became apparent to Renjun once more, and he was definitely still light headed.

“I’m so sorry, but I really need to stitch him up if you don’t mind,” Kun said politely to Renjun’s mother who smiled demurely and stepped away in response.

His palms began to sweat when Kun took his place kneeling beside him, the sharp needle poised right next to his side. Trying to distract himself, Renjun tore his eyes away from the sight and looked up to see both of the alphas with their eyes trained on him.

When he felt Kun shift closer, his hands began to shake in anticipation of the pain making the air turn sour with his fear.

“This will probably be the worst part. I have to cleanse the area, so, feel free to tear into that blanket. They're easy to make anyways,” the healer tried to joke, only to receive another rush of panicked pheromones releasing into the air.

Breathing in through his nose and closing his eyes to calm himself, Renjun tried to focus on the scents of the alphas in the room. He wasn’t sure why, but they were the first alphas that Renjun had found to genuinely smell kind of nice, and he was only mildly afraid to admit that.

A cloth was pressed to his side which made Renjun’s eyes snap open as he inhaled a sharp breath in pain. Tears were brought to his eyes without his permission, his whole body tense as he seethed through his teeth. Kun dabbed gently along his side, being as attentive and kind as possible, but it was still horrible.

When he got to the part of the gash that was the widest, Renjun couldn’t help the pathetic whine that escaped him as his body tried to cower away from the torment.

The air swarmed with rosemary lemon and basil clove in a heartbeat, and in any other circumstance Renjun would be extremely embarrassed, but his omega absolutely preened at the obvious attention from the two alphas and was soothed by them right away.

Allowing his head to relax backwards, Renjun sleepily blinked, the pain going from an eight down to a four, effectively cutting it in half.

Every time he would jolt at the sharp probing and prodding, a new wave of alpha calming pheromones soaked deep into his skin. Towards the end, Renjun had even begun to hum lightly, completely blissed out because of Jeno and Jaemin.

“There! All done. Now please don’t try and bolt out and rip it open again?”

“Mmmmmmhm,” Renjun nodded in a daze before he spotted his mother and reached his arms out with grabby hands. For some reason, he really wanted to cuddle and it was perfect that his mom was right there.

She had a knowing look on her face as she crossed the tiny space between them and sat on the side of the cot, stroking through Renjun’s tousled rusty brown hair. As the minutes ticked on, Renjun slowly found his senses becoming sharper and sharper until his brow was furrowed and his mind racing. Finally lucid once more, a thought dug its way through him.

“Mom?”

“Yes, Renjun?”

“Where’s dad?” He gulped, barely able to get the question out because he wasn’t quite sure what he wanted the answer to be. Did he want his dad to be living here in this giant, immaculate pack with them? Or did he hope his father had finally paid his dues? Truly, even after everything the man had put Renjun through he couldn’t bring himself to wish something like death upon his father.

So, when his mother simply shrugged and shook her head with a tumultuous expression, he wasn’t quite sure how to feel.

“Who’s your father?” Jaemin asked, causing Renjun to flick his head towards the other two, having genuinely forgotten that they were there.

“Excuse me?” The omega narrowed his eyes, still not too fond of the alphas. Jeno, the one who Renjun decided was nicer, took a step forward and cleared his throat.

“It’s just, no one in your pack was killed besides the pack alpha, which, unfortunately, is custom in a case like this. So, if you want we can mind link someone to bring him here like we did your mother and-“

“No!” Renjun’s entire body seized, the sharp tang of horror dousing the entire room in the smell of bleach. Everyone wrinkled their noses as Renjun stared at the floor, ashamed of his cowardice.

“Why not, Renjun?” Blinking up at Jaemin's falsely tepid tone, he tried to change the subject.

“How do you know my name?”

“Your mother said it. Now, why not Renjun?” His mother’s scent was beginning to add to Renjun’s own foul one and he knew the alphas were catching on, but it was not their place to pry like this, and Renjun was feeling brave.

“Listen. I’m grateful to you two for bringing my mother to me, but I don’t think it is either of your places to try and dig yourself into my life. So, please, if you could leave my mom and I alone.”

“Renjun-“ Jeno stepped another foot forward before the omega scowled, halting him in place.

“No. Please leave.”

After a short stare down, the two alphas exchanged varying looks of regret before nodding to both he and his mother and stepping out of the log door.

“Renjun?” He turned to his mother, pulling her hand into his to hold as she stared down at him with a glint in her eyes.

“Yes?”

“I believe you might be the cause of a bit of trouble here,” she smirked at Renjun’s puzzled expression.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I think you’ll find out soon enough.”

Renjun lived in the healing center while they waited for his side to be healed enough that he could walk about freely. The two alphas continued to visit him for some reason. Bringing him things like food, or extra fur blankets, which made Renjun suspicious.

It was obvious these two wanted to get into the male omega’s bed; they were probably curious as to what it would be like. The idea alone disgusted Renjun, so he continued to stay completely mute during their visits. He had resorted to the silent treatment, and although it was immature, it seemed to work as they eventually stopped visiting him.

When he asked his mom what she thought was going on with the alphas one day during her visit, she simply said that maybe they felt bad because they’re kind of the reason he was in there to begin with. Renjun immediately felt stupid that he hadn’t thought of that, as it was obviously the correct answer.

But, that meant that they were nice, and he was more than hesitant to believe that. It was far easier to swallow the fact of them simply wanting to disrespect him instead.

After a week, Renjun was released to finally take a look around the grounds properly instead of running through them bleeding. He still had so, _so_ many questions that he wanted answered, but no one had indulged him. And, he didn’t want to learn it from the two alphas.

Why was he being kept here along with his mother? Why had this pack attacked them in the first place? Was it true his pack alpha was dead? If they were enemies, why had they taken Renjun in so generously and wasted their medicines and herbs on him to help speed up his healing process?

And where was his father?

There were too many missing pieces in this puzzle that no matter how hard Renjun tried, he wouldn’t be able to solve it as is.

“Oh. Hi,” a soft voice came from behind him once Renjun had traversed down the hill outside of the healing center and began to trek towards the right. It was a boy addressing him, probably around his age, with golden brown, fluffy hair and flawless tan skin. Also-- _wow he smelt good, like strawberries..._

_Wait._

“Are you an omega?” Renjun gasped out, his eyes wide open as he ran his gaze up and down the other’s body.

“Uh, nice to meet you too. Great introduction, but yeah I am. Why?” The other omega squinted skeptically, crossing his arms across his chest.

“It’s just… I’ve never met another male omega before. My pack— my old pack, they didn’t exactly respect omegas, let alone male ones.” The other’s lips pursed slightly before nodding.

“Sounds familiar. Anyways, I’m Donghyuck,” he stuck his hand out towards Renjun who took it easily. “You can call me Hyuck though.”

“Hi Hyuck, I’m Renjun,” he smiled back at the other omega. “This is so amazing. Wow, I never thought I’d see the day,” Renjun shook his head in awe as Donghyuck laughed, happily basking in his rapt attention.

“Yeah, well, I do kind of have all of the alphas here wrapped around my finger. So, if you ever need any help little omega, you come to me, okay?” He punctuated his sentence with a wink.

“Wait, the alphas like you?” He inched closer to Donghyuck who began walking the way Renjun had been heading. Following him like a lost puppy, Renjun clung to every word he said.

“Of course they do. Male omegas are amazing! I also just happen to be extra pretty, so that probably helps,” he giggled making Renjun follow suit. Donghyuck wasn’t over exaggerating; in fact, he was underselling himself because the other was stunning.

“Wow, this is like night and day for me,” Renjun snorted, angry at his pack for making him feel inherently wrong and like a monstrosity.

“Was it everyone or just the alphas?”

“Mostly the alphas, I guess. But, everyone in the pack would rather treat me like shit then risk seeming like they were questioning our alpha's views."

“Hmm. So, you’re telling me, the people we have in our cells right now hate omegas, specifically males?” Donghyuck arched his eyebrow mischievously, making a nervous chill run through Renjun.

“Hyuck, did you say cells?”

“Yeah. The ones who attacked back instead of surrendering are. And no offense for this, but your pack was completely in violation of our rules and honestly would have been eradicated if we were any other pack. So, just throwing the warriors into the cells is a pretty generous punishment if you ask me.”

“But,” Renjun’s mind began to whirl trying to make things make sense. “Wait, violation of rules? And, I definitely fought back? I attacked that Jaemin guy. I’m pretty sure I left some decent sized marks on him, too.” Donghyuck halted in his tracks, turning to Renjun with a ‘no nonsense’ look on his face.

“Renjun, don’t lie to me. Did you really attack Jaemin and hurt him?” Renjun swallowed thickly aware that he might have just signed his own death certificate.

“Uh yeah, I did,” he breathed out, trying to crawl into himself to escape.

“Holy shit that’s hilarious!” The other began to cackle brightly, even a couple of breathy snorts finding their way into his laughter.

“Wh-what?”

“Did he cry? Please tell me you pinned him! I’m never letting him live this down, fuck!” Donghyuck continued to babble, humor in every word he said.

Renjun’s mind flashed back to something Jeno had said about the other and his skills; how it wasn’t often someone even got a hit on him. Finally realizing the situation, Renjun smirked at Donghyuck who was wiping the tears that had begun to gather in his eyes away.

“At one point I was actually latched onto his back by my teeth and he couldn’t even shake me off.”

“Stop! You’re going to kill me! No way!”

The two omegas continued to giggle as Donghyuck led him forward and through a small cluster of trees. Looking over to see the sunshine cascade down onto Donghyuck’s cheekbones, bouncing back off almost seeming to make him glow, Renjun couldn’t help but to hope that he had made a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are links to my  
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> please say hello!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, all of the love this is getting? It's really just making me so unbelievably happy. And it makes me want to just spend the whole day writing lol ∩(︶▽︶)∩

“So, this is where we unmated omegas stay,” Donghyuck had led him to a long cabin that was hidden behind the large building the pack had on their land. The two story one that had fascinated Renjun ever since he first saw it when he had escaped the healing center.

“What’s the big cabin for?”

“Hm?” Donghyuck turned to look over his shoulder at where Renjun was pointing. “Oh! That’s our pack house. It’s used for important gatherings, and it’s also where we all eat! Which is why the omegas are so close to it because we get served first,” Donghyuck wiggled his eyebrows at that as he opened the omega cabin.

“Whoa, really?”

“Yeah. Damn, they _really_ didn’t like omegas in your pack, huh?”

Shrugging, Renjun turned to face the small living area that was draped in furs of all kinds. Wooden benches covered with the soft pelts to create a comfier lounging place. There was a stoned off place in the corner that led up to the ceiling where you could light a fire. Renjun had never seen a fire lit inside of one’s house, but Donghyuck explained that it was a ‘fireplace’ and a ‘chimney’ which had to be so handy during the winter months.

To the right were two hallways that had several doors on either side going all the way down to the end. Donghyuck led him down the closest corridor and ushered him to the farthest door from the entrance on the left side.

Opening it, there was a small room furnished with a single chair and a small but sturdy wooden bed in the right corner. The sole window was right above the bed letting in natural light to illuminate the space.

“Sorry there’s nothing on your bed. I’m sure the other omegas wouldn’t mind if you stole a few furs from the living room. Usually when we hit our maturity age and move in we’ll take something from our parent’s cabin to furnish the place, but yeah.” He shrugged, leading Renjun into the center of the room, spinning around and taking it all in. “We also get gifts and pelts to decorate from other wolves that try and court or mate us. So, maybe someone will take an interest in you and-“

“Wait, wait, wait,” Renjun held both of his hands up in a motion telling Donghyuck to stop. “Court? Courting is still a thing? Alphas don’t just choose whoever they want and that’s that?”

Donghyuck’s face pulled down into a sad frown, true sympathy in his eyes.

“No way. Courting is really important in our pack. Plus,” he let a cheeky smile spread across his lips, “I have, like, eight wolves trying to court me right now. So, lots of gifts,” he winked making Renjun bark out a laugh.

“Wow. This is _extremely_ different and I have no clue how I’m supposed to handle it, in all honestly.” Donghyuck shrugged with a blasé look on his face.

“You have all the time in the world to adjust. Don’t pressure yourself to fit in right away. Your pack was small as hell, so it might feel overwhelming. But, there’s no pressure to conform to our ways, plus you’re not alone. You have me now!”

“True, true,” Renjun nodded before quirking his head to the side. “Where do we bathe? I really need to clean off,” he grimaced.

“Once again, omega privileges, but it’s closest to our cabin! Let me show you,” he gestured for Renjun to follow him as he led him down the hallway a bit into Hyuck’s room to grab some spare clothing before heading back outside the way they came in.

Their cabin bordered on the skirts of the forest where the foliage truly began to thicken. Donghyuck showed him the worn down path that led to a stream, a river, and lastly a small waterfall and pool that most of the wolves didn’t know about.

The last one was farther into the woods and there wasn’t a truly clear way to get there, but Donghyuck kept insisting that it was worth it. Passing through low hanging branches and with small twigs snapping under their feet, it had to have been almost ten minutes of walking before the faint sound of crashing water descended upon them.

Rounding a few more tall oaks, the ground began to clear and a petite lagoon came into view. It was nestled into the side of a cluster of rocks that were settled down the side of a rather large hill. A stream that must have been running across the fields at the top of the hill was running its way between the jagged stones before cresting over a rather large, jutting one that created the waterfall effect.

The wall of water arched into a crystal clear pool with much smoother stones surrounding its oval shape compared to the ones the waterfall ran down. Smooth water trickled out of the lagoon’s pond and down next to their feet leading back into the forest.

Many of the tall trees’ branches grew inwards over the small, magical spot, creating a shadow from most of the sun, sealing the pool off from the rest of the world.

“Wow,” Renjun couldn’t close his mouth as he continued to take it all in.

“Right? Perfect place to bathe, and you don’t have to worry about running into anyone else.”

Donghyuck began to strip with an awestruck Renjun following slowly, his jaw still hanging loose. They laid their clean clothes out on a large stone towards the tree line that was still in the sun, so that way when they got out they could slip into something warm right away.

There was a flat plateau of a rock that thrusted over the pool that was a perfect diving board. Hyuck took a bit of a running start and jumped in towards where the waterfall crashed down, claiming that it was deepest there.

Not wanting to break his head open on a rock, Renjun simply eased himself in from the side like a normal person.

The water had a chill that briskly made its way up his spine. It was still March after all; they still had several weeks until it truly became summer. But once the heat hit, Renjun knew that he would be hard pressed to not spend every waking day here turning into a prune.

Dunking his head under the water, Renjun ran his fingers through his hair, scrubbing harshly against his scalp. He couldn’t hold in the small purr from his wolf at finally feeling clean of the dirt that had been stuck to his skin for so long.

Even though Kun had helped to keep him as clean as possible, nothing was quite like being able to submerge yourself into the cool water of a pond or a stream.

“Is that why you were out of commission for so long?” Donghyuck pointed to his side at the puckered bright pink scar. It was sure to grow smaller soon, but Renjun knew that it would be a permanent mark on his skin.

“Mhm. It’s what I got for fighting with Jaemin.”

“Wow, he did that to you?” Donghyuck looked aghast before dunking his head once more.

“No, not really. Jeno knocked me off of Jaemin and I just happened to tumble into this sharp ass rock that gave me this,” he gestured vaguely in the direction of where his wound had been.

“Oh wow, so you fought Jeno, too? Damn, you sure are ballsy for an omega. Going against those pheromones must have been hard.”

“What can I say? I don’t feel cut out for the normal ‘omega jobs.’ I like to hunt and fight,” Donghyuck looked at him before scoffing and swimming closer.

“We don’t have that kind of bullshit here. If you want to train with the warriors, they’ll let you. Especially if you’re good enough to almost pin Jaemin.” Renjun’s heart began to stutter excitedly in his chest while his eyes lit up in elation.

“Really? This is great!” He couldn’t hold back the squeal of joy that left his lips, before he threw his arms around Donghyuck and brought him in for a very naked hug.

“Oh, gross, Jun! You’re cute and all, but I don’t like you that way.” Renjun spit out a laugh directly into Hyuck’s face before jumping on his shoulders and pushing him underwater.

They began to tussle playfully, splashing water in one another’s faces and seeing who could dunk who for the longest.

When Donghyuck finally got him under the water, Renjun was trying to kick his leg before he decided to koala wrap himself around the other to bring him down. Suddenly, he was pulled back up forcefully.

His shoulders broke through the surface of the water and the first thing that registered in his ears was a deep growl and the strong scent of clove. Harsh and calloused hands gripped his shoulders as Renjun registered an overwhelming commanding aura from a very strong wolf.

Still so unused to being around powerful alphas, Renjun’s omega began to cower, unsure and frightened of what was going on around him.

“What the hell, Jaemin! Leave Renjun alone you weirdo, and cut the possessive alpha bullshit out. You know I’m not a threat or whatever the fuck!”

Shoulders hunched up to his ears, Renjun dared to peak behind himself, spotting Jaemin who had jumped into the water still fully clothed and—oh.

Renjun was very much naked and very much close to being pressed back against an alpha of mating age and he was scared of what his wolf might do. Forcing his head to clear, Renjun pried himself from the Alpha’s grip, holding his arms across his body to hide before floating through the water behind Donghyuck.

If the half pout half betrayed look on Jaemin’s face was anything to go by, he wasn’t very happy at the turn of events.

“I-I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. My wolf, he just got super pissed for some reason and then,” he gestured vaguely in the air, trying to find the words to explain.

“And then?” Donghyuck prompted; his eyebrow quirked upwards while there was an accusing tone in his voice.

“I don’t know! I’m normally more in control of my instincts than that. Back me up Hyuck!” Donghyuck simply rolled his eyes.

“Why are all alphas such uncontrolled messes,” he sighed before turning to look at Renjun who was still hiding. “You okay?”

Gulping, Renjun realized his body was slightly shivering, and the tops of his shoulders where he had been held by Jaemin were almost tingling. Curse his stupid omega body.

“I’m not used to, I guess, powerful pheromones from alphas? My wolf keeps getting really overwhelmed and intimidated by the scents.” Jaemin smirked at that, tilting his head to the side with his eyes locked onto Renjun’s.

“Powerful, huh?” Grimacing, he poked more of his way out from behind Donghyuck.

“Sure, powerful. But, I also basically kicked your ass and you had to get another alpha to help you beat me. So, what does that make me?”

Jaemin’s face was settled into pure shock, small flabbergasted sounds emitting from his lips whenever he opened his mouth to respond. Donghyuck, however, had collapsed into a snorting laughing fit.

“Y-Your face!” He wheezed, pointing at Jaemin’s quickly reddening cheeks. “Pleeeease tell me Johnny knows this happened! I want him to tear you to shreds!” That comment finally made Jaemin able to speak, snapping him out of his embarrassed trance.

“Of course he doesn’t know! Why would I willingly humiliate myself?”

“Oh, so it’s humiliating to be bested by an omega? Why is that Jaemin, hm?” Renjun fixed him with an expectant look, waiting for a satisfactory explanation.

“What? What! No! I just never lose! To anyone!”

“Hm, so since an omega almost beat you, are you saying-“

“Don’t, no! Omegas are badass! Taeyong and Ten would literally _murder_ me if I ever said otherwise,” Jaemin was adamant in his words, reinforcing what he meant.

“Who’s Taeyong and Ten?” Renjun turned to Donghyuck then who still had a bright smile on his face.

“Oh they’re two of the omegas who work with Johnny in training the pups and others who haven’t presented yet. They also train some of the better warriors in smaller groups.”

“Do you want to meet them? I could take you there and I could show you around our land? And, like, where things are and stuff? I can show you my cabin and, Y’know. Yeah” Jaemin rambled, his words lacking in confidence the longer he spoke.

“Uh-“

“Just ask him out, Jaemin, dammit.” Donghyuck interrupted the alpha, making them both choke on the air they were breathing.

“Ask me out?”

“Ask him out?”

Jaemin and Renjun questioned in unison.

“Yes. The sexual energy is palpable and I won’t have any of it,” he held up his hands defensively, but Renjun still found a way to smack him upside the head.

“Like I’d ever fuck around with some alpha!” Renjun bit out sharply, obviously offended that Donghyuck would think such a thing.

When Renjun shifted his eyes back over to Jaemin and caught the dejected look on his face, his heart clenched uncomfortably in his chest for some reason. Renjun had gone through the past several years accepting that he was never going to mate, especially to an alpha, but with the way the smell of clove and basil began to sour, he couldn’t help but to feel bad.

“Yeah, Hyuck. So, leave him alone,” Jaemin’s jaw clenched, the air going stagnant with uncomfortable energy.

“Uh, okay?” Donghyuck turned to catch Renjun’s eye, but the omega was still focused on Jaemin’s downcast expression trying to puzzle the feelings racing through him together.

“Anyways. I’ll leave you guys alone now,” the alpha turned on his heel, and marched out of the lagoon, quickly stripping himself of his wet shirt and trousers before shifting mid jump and bolting away.

“I think I said something wrong,” Renjun whispered, his gaze trained on where Jaemin had disappeared into the forest.

“He’s an alpha. They’re just touchy and possessive over the stupidest of things. Don’t worry about it.”

But, when Renjun tried to go back to the happy and playful mood they had been in before Jaemin arrived, his heart constricted and his wolf pouted. Something just didn’t feel right.

When they finished bathing and finally made it back to the omega cabin, Jeno was pacing back and forth just outside of the front door, deep in thought. Donghyuck stuck an arm out in order to stop Renjun from walking forward and stared in amused puzzlement at the alpha.

“Who could he possibly be visiting? Is he going to finally court someone?” Renjun heard Donghyuck mumble under his breath.

Right at that moment, a breeze drifted through the air, caressing them both before it blew in the direction of Jeno. When it reached him, he immediately snapped his head up and locked eyes with Renjun, smiling sweetly in a way that made his eyes disappear.

“Hey, Renjun!”

“Hm. Someone’s popular,” Donghyuck grumbled so low that Renjun was pretty sure he wasn’t supposed to hear it.

“Uh, hi?” Jeno picked up his pace, lightly jogging to where both of the omegas stood, waiting.

“Hi. I was wondering if you wanted me to show you around?”

“I think I’m having an episode of déjà vu,” Donghyuck dramatically gasped, bringing his fingers up to rub at his temples in frustration.

“It’s okay. Hyuck is taking me-“

“Oh, well I was heading over to the nursery where your mom was, so I just thought-“

“My mom?” The two went back and forth, not letting each other quite finish their sentences. Jeno simply smiled softly once more, nodding.

“Yeah! Your mom has been working at the nursery, and since I was passing by _and_ heading that way, I figured I would ask.” Renjun quickly ran his hands through his still wet hair, shaking it out slightly and feeling nervous for some reason.

“Hyuck, do you mind?” Turning to the other omega, he gently placed a hand on his arm before receiving a shrug.

“Nope! Just make sure you give me those clothes back later.”

Donghyuck pivoted around Jeno and headed straight towards the omega cabin. Following him with his eyes, once the door finally shut, Renjun had no other choice than to look back up at a tender-eyed Jeno.

“Alright. Want me to show you now?”

“Sure.”

His wolf was feeling more and more restless, and Renjun wasn’t quite able to put his finger on why exactly. There were several reasons it could be because of: his sudden change in pack, being so close to an alpha, having so many questions still unanswered.

Speaking of which...

“Jeno. Be honest with me. Am I ever going to know just exactly what the hell is going on?” The alpha’s eyes shifted in his peripheral to look at Renjun before he sighed.

“We just have to clear a few more things up first. I know it’s hard not knowing what all is going on, and it has to be a lot to take in.”

“That’s definitely an understatement.” Jeno winced at the harsh tone Renjun used. And when he realized the alpha was pouting in guilt, he couldn’t help the way his heart fluttered slightly.

It was probably because he could finally talk back to an alpha the way he had always wanted to be able to.

“We’re going to have a huge pack meeting once it’s all settled though. Our head alpha will explain everything then, promise.”

“So, does that mean I’m a part of this pack now? Or?” Arching an eyebrow in question at Jeno, Renjun folded his arms across his chest in defiance.

He felt like every time he spoke to an alpha, no matter how awkward it felt, Renjun became more and more like his true self. The way in which he spoke, his sarcastic comments that he had always just kept in his head flying free, and finally being able to not let others walk all over him was more than just refreshing.

It was freeing.

“No, not yet. We have a pack ritual for initiation that you’d have to partake in if you wanted to join us. I’m not sure if anyone has told you, but a handful of your old pack has actually chosen to leave.” Renjun’s breath stuttered at the thought of omegas, the elderly, and children out there alone in the forest.

“Are they safe? Did someone make sure they got somewhere with livable conditions?” He gripped Jeno’s arm, stopping him from walking any further making sure his eyes conveyed how serious he was.

Jeno blinked prettily, his dark eyelashes catching Renjun’s attention. Eyes exploring every part of the omega’s face, the alpha let out a shaky sigh while his sight dipped down to Renjun’s lips before shooting right back up over his head instead. A pink dusted Jeno’s cheeks while the bright scent of lemon multiplied throughout the air.

“Yes. Our second in command, my father, led them safely off our pack lands and into neutral territory.” Renjun loosened his grip before his arm dropped entirely.

“Okay. Good.”

Turning back to the front waiting for Jeno to begin leading them again, Renjun shot him a bemused look as he caught him with his eyes glued to the omega’s side profile.

“Uh, can we get to my mom now?”

“Oh! Sorry!” The alpha jolted out of his stupor, hands moving awkwardly before he grasped them both in front of himself and scurried the rest of the way up the hill they had stopped below.

Atop the high ground was, of course, another cabin. There were children running around and tackling one another directly to the right while a woman chased them yelling at them to stop. Chuckling, Renjun looked up to Jeno who gestured forward towards the ajar front door.

When they stepped through, the hodge-podge state of the open room made Renjun giggle. Every surface was covered in some strange amalgamation of sticks, rocks, and the occasional flower. The pups were scuffling about, and he easily spotted his mother in the corner sitting in a chair with one of the kids on her lap.

Navigating their way through the maze of puppies, Renjun stepped right up to his mother, making her gasp in surprise which, in turn, caused the rosy cheeked girl on his lap to look up and blink at him as well.

“Renjun, my love. You’re up!”

“Yup. I feel a ton better, and I met another male omega! Mom, there’s more of me,” his voice threatened to crack as it was so full of emotion. The understanding and caring look his mother shot him didn’t help his emotional state either.

“Pretty!” The little pup on his mom’s lap declared loudly, a pudgy finger pointed directly at Renjun. Blinking several times, Renjun was slightly dazed by the compliment; he was used to kids running from him, calling him a freak show, but this girl giggled and reached her arms up towards Renjun trying to wriggle out of his mother’s arms.

“I think she wants to be held by you, Renjun,” his mother laughed, lifting her up to Renjun who took the baby with shaky arms having never done this before. “Cute,” his mother cooed as the pup wrapped her arms around Renjun’s neck, pressing their cheeks together.

“Pretty,” the little girl reiterated, snuggling close and—oh she was scenting him.

They all three realized at the same time, and began to laugh in tandem. Unbothered, the girl continued to rub her face onto his, leaving her very faint scent onto Renjun trying to mark him as her’s.

Personal scents didn’t truly develop until presentation, so at this point all of the babies just smelt like, well, babies. The only difference was the scenting from their own parents which Renjun was now going to smell vaguely like.

“Have you seen where you’re going to stay? Is it nice? Are they treating you well?” His mom asked rapid fire one after the other, while the child grabbed some of Renjun’s hair and began trying to eat it.

“The omega cabin is really great, mom. You should come by sometime. I have my own room!” He beamed in excitement, his look mirrored on his mother’s face. “The only thing is, I’m going to have to steal some of the furs from our living room because my bed right now is just a board of wood basically.”

“I have some pelts you can have,” Jeno’s voice was serious. When Renjun turned to the alpha, he was staring at him in earnest making his mind move in slow motion.

Renjun could feel the tips of his ears heating up and his lips parted slightly. He kept trying to get words out, but instead he was simply staring in a daze at Jeno.

“That sounds lovely! Thank you, young gentleman,” his mother answered for him, giving Renjun a reprieve from his dumbassery.

Jeno smiled and inclined his head towards her, before sending Renjun his pretty crescent eye smile which only made his face further heat up. Something akin to adrenaline was pumping through his body, and Renjun had not once felt it before.

So, quickly but carefully handing the pup back over to his mom, he bolted upright and stiffly turned to the alpha.

“Thank you, but no thank you. I’m fine. Uh, I like, uh, sleeping on wood,” Renjun winced at how unintelligent he sounded, trying to ignore the way Jeno’s face continued to fall the more he spoke. “Uh, yes! I like to sleep on hard surfaces because it’s good for your back!”

“Oh.” Renjun forced a horribly fake laugh that made his mother send him a disgusted look at the strangled noise that left his mouth.

“Ah, yes! Wood! So, goodbye!”

Swiveling in place, Renjun darted for the still open door, practically flinging himself through it and tripping over his own feet to get down the hill. Not chancing looking back, his awkward jog turned into a full on sprint to get back to his new room.

He was a mess. A total and utter buffoon.

Renjun really needed a _How to Talk to Alphas_ book. Maybe Donghyuck had one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/tenspetal)   
>  [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.qa/tenspetal)


	4. Chapter 4

That night Renjun slept on the wooden bed with no furs, refusing to even take some of the ones from the living room, punishing himself because he was so upset by his own stupidity.

It was still one of the best nights of sleep he had ever had. Not having to worry about someone of a different rank chiding him just for existing or having kids throw rocks at his tent to scare him was rather liberating.

The next morning, he found Donghyuck next to the omega cabin talking to a handsome looking beta. Even though the other wasn’t an alpha, he felt on edge; Renjun couldn’t help but to feel just as cautious around betas as he did alphas due to his father.

So, approaching timidly, Renjun poked Donghyuck on the shoulder making him startle and turn to face the other, having been too wrapped up in his conversation to notice him. Renjun was very much aware of how thickly the air smelt of strawberries and decided he would pry more into that later.

“Hey, Hyuck? I was wondering what I would do if I, if _someone,_ wanted to—well hypothetically—if someone wanted to possibly sit in on a fighting lesson? Where would someone go for that?”

“Oh, Ten is teaching today and he’s a male omega, too. I know Hyuckie prefers to take lessons from him and Taeyong. I could go introduce you if you’d like?” The deep auburn haired beta responded before Donghyuck had even so much as had a chance to open his mouth.

“Uhhhh-“

“Oh, crap, uh I’m Mark by the way!” The beta, Mark, cut Renjun off, extending a hand with an amicable smile. Very carefully, Renjun extended his hand and greeted the other quickly before pulling back into himself.

“I’m Renjun.”

“Yeah, I know! Jaemin and Jeno won’t shut up about you. They usually just don’t shut up about one another. You know, I swear I see them arguing more and more these days than I ever have before,” Mark chuckled happily, looking to Hyuck as if he was in on the joke. Renjun thought that if he was in wolf form, Mark’s tail probably would have been wagging.

But, wait. Jeno and Jaemin? About him?

“Sorry, what?” Nerves made the small hairs all across Renjun’s body stand on end as he thought of the two alphas talking about him to other people. To people like this beta.

“I mean it makes sense, right?” Mark shrugged. “You’re all mating age, and since you’re the new pretty male omega, their wolves are probably going crazy!”

The air was suddenly tinged with something like rotten fruit, making both Renjun and Mark shoot their eyes to Donghyuck. His friend was clenching and unclenching his fists while staring at the ground.

“Hyuck?” Renjun whispered, softly placing his hand on the other omega’s shoulder. Donghyuck stepped to the side, making Renjun’s hand fall away, before he looked up with a fake grin.

“Yeah, Renjun. Go with Mark, he’ll show you the training grounds. I’m busy anyways. Bye.”

In an instant, Donghyuck was racing back to the omega cabin, and Renjun was struck again with the feeling that his words had caused more problems.

What had he said?

Going the past few years isolated and not speaking to others had really taken its toll on his communication skills.

Both Mark and Renjun hesitantly decided to go ahead and walk to the training grounds unsure if Donghyuck truly was busy or not. Mark tried to engage him in small talk, but they both ended up being completely silent most of the way.

Where they practiced their skills was tucked on the opposite side of the hill that the healing center was on, which was probably a smart move. There was a wide glade just past the tree line that had been worn down to mostly dirt in the center where two wolves were currently going at it.

A dirty blonde wolf and an almost orange, reddish wolf were circling one another. The blond one had a size advantage, but from the way the orange wolf was stalking the other, Renjun could tell he had speed on his side.

“The blonde wolf? That’s Jisung,” Mark whispered, leaning over to Renjun who subconsciously took a step back from the beta. “The other one is Chenle. They’re basically best friends. Oh, and Jisung is Jaemin’s little brother; he’s the other pack alpha’s son.

“Chenle is a beta and Jisung is an alpha, so, uh, yeah. They’re pit against each other quite often because they’re the only two their age who are strong enough to fight the other. Jisung’s goal is to pin Jaemin, but he’s not gotten close yet. It’s a pretty big point of contention, especially since Jisung is going through wolf puberty,” Mark laughed at his own joke before crossing his arms over his torso and observing the fight.

The orange wolf, Chenle, attacked first, and Renjun had been right. His speed was nothing to joke about, and he got in a swipe with his claws on Jisung before the blonde wolf knew what hit him. Showing his strength, Jisung then lunged himself sideways and caught Chenle off guard, bringing them both to the ground.

“Chenle, keep an eye on your surroundings! Jisung, if you’re going to tackle someone make sure you don’t just flop yourself to the ground with them!” A high-pitched voice yelled loudly from the side of the fight where several other people were standing.

Renjun figured he must have been the instructor, since the longer the brawl went on, the more he called out advice and reprimands to the two young wolves.

“Who’s that?” Renjun asked softly.

“That’s Ten! One of the male omegas I was talking about earlier who is one of our three combat and defense instructors.

The male, Ten, was very small in stature, maybe even the same size as Renjun, and he had short cropped black hair with extremely feline features for a wolf. He radiated a toughness and stability, and Renjun was pretty sure he had just found himself a role model.

Dancing around one another, the wolves’ practice fight finally came to an end when Chenle dodged a powerful attack by Jisung which made him hit his head harshly into the ground. Renjun winced at the sight while the orange beta pinned him down and huffed out in triumph when Ten called the match.

As the two wolves, Jisung hanging his head, began to make the short trek to the healing center to get the small cut on the side of the dirty blonde wolf’s head checked out, Renjun sped over to Ten, eager to meet another male omega.

“Alright! Yeri, do you want to go next? You really need to practice your-“

“Sorry. Um, hello, hi. Hi. I’m Renjun, I’m also a male omega? I’m new, well obviously because you don’t know me. But, yes I’m new and my pack—my old pack never let me fight, but I really like to fight and can I sign up to be taught? Or… I don’t know how this works. Do I fight you? But, you’ll probably kick my ass, so maybe it’d be better if-“

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down, Renjun,” Ten giggled prettily, his tone a tinkling sound. “Welcome, I’m Ten. I would absolutely love to have another male omega join us for practice. We need to show the others just how strong we can be, right?” He winked at Renjun who broke out into a large smile in response.

“Exactly! I want to kick ass. Please teach me. I promise I’ll work hard,” Renjun’s tone was serious and so was Ten’s gaze as he took the omega in, sizing him up properly.

“I believe you. You have a nice build. What are your strengths in combat?”

“I’m fast.” Ten’s eyes narrowed.

“A lot of people are fast, though.”

“No,” shaking his head, Renjun made sure to get his point across. “I’m _fast_. I promise you whoever your fastest wolf here is, I’m faster.” Ten smiled smugly, obviously satisfied by something.

“Well, that would be me then.”

Blinking, Renjun’s shoulders slumped slightly. Great. He had just told his future instructor that he was better than him before they had even started. Maybe they provided etiquette lessons too.

“We should race some day,” Ten reached over to ruffle Renjun’s hair, making his eyes widen in surprise. “But, for now, I’ll need to see you spar against someone so I can judge just exactly where your skill level is as of right now. It’ll help me to better train you. Um,” he scanned over all of the wolves present before spotting Mark and waving him over.

“Fight with Mark for now, and then we’ll see just how-“

“I’ll fight him.”

Their eyes shifted over to the left where Jaemin had just emerged from the trees followed by an angry looking Jeno. Renjun narrowed his eyes at the alpha.

Was he expecting to get a one up on Renjun this time? Maybe his pride was injured so he felt like he needed to beat the omega before he could move on, but little did Jaemin know that Renjun had a fire under his ass. He was determined to pin the alpha.

“Oh, Jaemin. Hi, Jeno. I don’t think that’s a good idea. I haven’t seen where Renjun is at yet, so-“

“I’ll do it.” Renjun agreed with finality, leaving no room to argue. Ten eyed him suspiciously before he shrugged with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Fine. Jaemin, come on.” As the alpha came over to where Renjun was, they both made their way to the middle of the dirt circle, poised on opposite sides with their eyes locked onto one another. “Start in your human form until I yell shift. Once you shift you’re not allowed to change back unless you forfeit. No scratching of the eyes is allowed. Are you both ready?”

The look on Jaemin’s face could be described as nothing else besides devilish. It looked as if he was holding onto a secret that Renjun was soon to find out.

“Ready whenever he is,” Jaemin teased, his voice a sing-song tone. Glaring, Renjun spread his legs into a wider stance, poising himself to attack.

“Ready to kick the alpha’s ass now,” Renjun responded. He heard Mark and Jeno along with a few other people stifle their giggles. Jaemin’s feathers were definitely ruffled, his scent spiking sharply in anger which is exactly what Renjun had wanted.

Alphas were brash, and although he might have more power behind his swings now, he would also be much less calculating. Sending Jaemin an innocent smile, Ten clapped twice.

“Alright. Fight!”

Renjun instantly knew he had the advantage.

Or, at least he thought he did.

Jaemin looked far too confident for his own good; you’d think he’d remember how hard of an opponent Renjun had been. But, he was an alpha after all, and Renjun was used to being underestimated.

They circled one another slowly, both of their stances looking similar. Renjun was debating on whether it would be smarter to wait for Jaemin to attack first, or if there would be a surprise element as an omega to initiate the attack. Grimacing in frustration, Renjun couldn’t help but to think that this is where proper training would have come in handy.

As they continued to circle one another, Renjun decided that he wouldn’t wait around for anyone.

 _Fuck it_.

He lunged forward, speeding his way across the ring, kicking up dirt in his wake. It seemed as if Jaemin had anticipated Renjun’s move as he stepped to the side swiftly dodging and maneuvering himself around Renjun, into his blind spot.

When he felt a quick jab to his side, Renjun knew that he shouldn’t have attacked first. He had attacked the alpha with the same strategy as he had last time; trying to best him with the element of surprise once again. Jaemin was quick to adapt though, and it seemed like every move Renjun made, Jaemin was already one step ahead.

Fists swung and legs kicked colliding with nothing but air as Jaemin’s eyes were laser focused onto the omega that was sweating with the effort. Ripples of anger rolled off of Renjun the longer he went without landing a single hit. The most frustrating part was that Renjun was faster than him, Jaemin just happened to be very, very good at anticipating his moves.

It was obvious what he was doing wasn’t going to work, so inching back to take a few large breaths and observe Jaemin from the opposite side, Renjun made a decision.

“What, are you scared to hit an omega, Jaemin? You barely poke me in the side and then decide to just dance around with me? I thought you were the best fighter? Seems as though your ‘alpha’ instincts are lacking,” he jeered at Jaemin.

Renjun didn’t believe a single word he had actually said, but he knew that provoking Jaemin’s alpha side was the only thing that could help him. He knew it worked when clove and basil became sharp, almost spicy, in the air, and then the alpha was lunging.

Back into his element, Renjun dodged Jaemin’s hit just like the alpha had his first punch. Using his own strategy against him, Renjun rounded the alpha and jabbed him harshly in the side.

Wincing, the alpha twisted and grabbed Renjun’s wrist, using it as leverage to pull him into a punch. Their bodies were close as Jaemin hit his stomach, but Renjun was already reaching a leg out to swipe at his feet, effectively knocking him over.

As Jaemin fell, his grip on Renjun’s wrist tightened, pulling him down with him. They struggled in the dirt, but when it came to brute force, Jaemin was far stronger.

The alpha flipped them easily, pinning Renjun into the ground. He knew if he got his hands around his neck that the fight was over, but they hadn’t even gotten to shift yet, and Renjun refused to embarrass himself that way.

Eyes raking over Jaemin and his surroundings for an out, he froze as the alpha leaned down and pressed his face directly against Renjun’s neck, right where his scent was the strongest.

Jaemin’s grip began to become looser as he started to scent the omega, and trying not to freak out, Renjun used this opportunity to his advantage.

He yanked his wrists harshly out of the alpha’s grasp, making Jaemin fall down onto his chest. Quickly rolling to the side, Renjun separated their bodies and scrambled to a standing position, his entire face, ears, and neck a bright red from the public display of affection Jaemin had just done.

When he looked down into the alpha’s eyes, he could see how shocked Jaemin was at his own actions, as if his brain had checked out in that moment and only his instincts guided him, which was probably the case.

Blood rushing in his ears, Renjun jolted forward, jumping sideways to land a kick square in the center of Jaemin’s back, knocking the wind out of him. With an ‘oof’ the alpha went down, and Renjun saw him finally come back to his senses and back into the fight.

“Dammit,” he heard Jaemin growl under his breath before he turned towards Renjun with flashing red eyes.

The sight made Renjun gasp, which was just long enough to give Jaemin the opening he needed. Bolting to him, the alpha struck him harshly in the side as Renjun tried and failed to doge. The force of it knocked him back, but Jaemin continued on aiming a kick to swipe Renjun’s feet out from underneath him.

Losing his balance, Renjun tipped over and landed on the hard ground, jarring his tailbone and spine. He couldn’t help the pitiful yelp that came out of him, and at that Jaemin began to stall once more, standing over the omega with the same confused expression on his face as earlier.

Seemingly out of nowhere, both Jaemin and Renjun were smacked upside the head with the scent of rosemary and citrus. A growl ripped its way from Jeno’s chest as he planted himself in front of Renjun, effectively guarding him.

“Hey! Jeno! What do you think you’re doing!” Ten yelled from somewhere behind them, but Renjun was focused on the way Jaemin’s scent continued to multiply, drowning the entire field in his pheromones.

“Whoa, Jaemin. What the hell?” Another voice called from the side.

Peaking around Jeno’s body, Renjun saw Jaemin’s eyes flashing red, both of the alphas were posturing, their scents raging a war against one another. The heady smell of herbs and citrus coming together seemed nothing shy of harmonious to Renjun, even though he knew that when it came to two angry alphas, it should smell the exact opposite.

The longer Renjun sat there, the lighter his body began to feel. It reminded him of when he was in the healing center; how he had felt relaxed and giggly.

There was something slightly different this time though.

An undercurrent of lust was raking its way through the pheromones and _what the hell is happening._

Renjun’s mind was teetering just on completely blank, when he realized that someone was lifting him. Trying to take a look, he saw Jaemin and Jeno still on the field, Jeno trying to lead the other alpha away.

“No! You’re literally starting your rut! Snap out of it for a bit until I can get you home!”

Oh.

_Ooohhh._

Renjun’s fizzy mind tried to put two and two together in order to make sense of what had just happened out there. 

When he had grown up, Renjun was told stories of just how much an alpha’s rut pheromones could affect omegas that they would be compatible partners with. That some wolves would go years to find the scent that sent them into bliss.

His mother had held his hand and told him that he should wait until he found that special omega, his ‘perfect mate’ as his mother had called it. That he deserved someone special. Of course at the time, she had told it from an alpha’s point of view not the omega’s. 

She had specified how affected an omega could get and just how protective he would begin to feel over them if he were to find his mate.

But, now here he was on the opposite side of the story.

A completely pheromone affected omega.

Fuck.

Once his head had begun to clear, Renjun realized it was Ten that had carried him to the healing center to rest. Kun looked him over and reported that the hits he had taken from Jaemin would be healed within the hour, and Renjun was feeling grateful for their ability to recover speedily.

So many thoughts were circling again and again in an endless loop in Renjun’s mind. All of the lessons he had been taught growing up on being an alpha were coming in handy as he tried to figure out just what exactly happened.

Renjun hadn’t smelt any pre-rut on Jaemin, and he was pretty sure if Ten had sensed any of those types of pheromones, he wouldn’t have let him fight. He was lucky that he was, apparently, an omega that smelt good to Jaemin because Renjun knew how aggressive a rut could make an alpha depending on the situation.

It made sense now though why Jaemin had lost a bit of control and had begun to scent him, the closest omega nearby, in the middle of their practice fight.

Renjun could only imagine how bad it would be if he went into heat mid fight with an alpha; he shuddered at just the thought of the situation. That would definitely be something he’d never be able to live down.

Waiting to see what he should do next, Renjun began to pick at the fur blanket that was draped across his legs. However, his alone time was ended in a heartbeat.

Word must have spread fast because Donghyuck came sprinting inside, cheeks bright pink from exertion.

The omega leaned down, placing his hands on his knees panting for breath. Holding up one finger to signal for Renjun to wait, Donghyuck continued to wheeze slightly.

“Damn, how far did you sprint to be this winded?”

“All-“ Donghyuck gasped in another breath before continuing, “All the way from that small lagoon I took you to.”

“Oh. That makes sense then.” Donghyuck rolled his eyes, his breathing finally becoming more stable.

“Of course it does. I have great stamina, it was just far. Anyways,” he exhaled, “did you really send Jaemin into rut?” Renjun’s eyebrows rose up into his hairline in confusion.

“Uh, no? He must have been in pre-rut… right?” His voice didn’t even sound confident to Renjun’s own ears, and according to the impish smirk on Donghyuck’s face, the other omega was probably telling the truth.

“Nope. I ate breakfast with him this morning and he was completely fine. You,” he pointed directly at Renjun, reaching out to poke the center of his chest, “sent him into rut.”

“That can’t be right,” Renjun whispered, speaking more to himself than anything.

“I mean, you do smell really pretty, and you’re the new meat so it makes sense. But, this is amazing. Jaemin needs to start courting someone soon anyways, since his father is getting older. Of course, Alpha Na probably wanted him to court a female omega because, you know, offspring and all that… Hm, but maybe-“

“Donghyuck,” Renjun cut him off, receiving a slightly annoyed look from the other omega.

“What?”

“I don’t want to be courted,” he breathed out, shaking his head. “I’m still not even sure how I feel about alphas.”

“But, everyone there at the fight said you were super affected by his pheromones, so I just thought…” Renjun sighed, bringing his hands up to cover his face.

“Well, yeah, but it wasn’t just Jaemin. Jeno was basically blasting his scent straight up my nose, too, and I’m just not used to it!” He brought his hands back down, flopping into his lap dejectedly. “That’s why, right? I’m just not used to alpha scents, right?”

He looked to Donghyuck for reassurance, but instead only received an incredulous wagging finger before the omega clicked his tongue and shook his head. 

His friend came over and sat down on the edge of the cot, patting Renjun’s rusty brown hair encouragingly.

”Can I be honest with you, Junnie?”

”Yeah.”

“I think Jaemin might be your perfect mate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, but like...... what do you guys think is gonna happen? (. ﾟーﾟ)
> 
> [Twitter ](https://twitter.com/tenspetal) [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.qa/tenspetal)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi this chapter is really short, but uh, I wanted to post it so I did ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ

The next three days were torture.

For some reason, Renjun’s wolf was restless. He kept asking Donghyuck to go out on runs with him, and he could tell the other omega was getting sick of it. On the third day when he was gearing up for his second sprint just that afternoon alone, Hyuck grabbed him by the wrist and sat him down in his room onto the lush pile of furs on his bed.

“Listen. Renjun?”

“Yes?” Donghyuck leaned forward, placing either of his hands on Renjun’s shoulders.

“Your wolf is going crazy.” The way he was fidgeting with his fingers only proved the other’s point further, but Renjun was nothing if not stubborn.

“I’ve just been enjoying running more recently. I want to improve my speed in both forms, and-“ Donghyuck softly shushed him, petting his hair as if he was a horse that he was trying to calm down. Renjun couldn’t keep the scowl off of his face.

“I know that you don’t want to be courted, don’t want to be mated, want to eradicate all alphas and betas in existence,” the omega gestured randomly with his hands.

“I never said that.”

“Maybe not in so many words, but it’s not hard to tell that that’s where your mind is at. Which, after what you’ve gone through makes total sense. I get it! I really do,” his friend looked on in sympathy making Renjun sigh.

“But?”

“ _But,”_ Donghyuck echoed Renjun’s sigh. “I’m pretty sure it’s because you don’t know how Jaemin is doing, isn’t it? It’s stressing you out, right?” Renjun clenched his jaw, flexing his hands awkwardly.

“I mean, I do feel a bit guilty if it was me that sent him into his rut, but it’s not the end of the world if he’s gone.”

“I didn’t say that, and I believe you that that’s the reason why. His rut should break today, so maybe it would be a good idea if you went over to his cabin and talked to him? I can ask Jeno when it breaks to let me know, and I’ll tell you.” Perking up at the sound of the other’s name, Renjun tried to be nonchalant.

“Jeno? How would he know?”

“Hm, because he usually helps out Jaemin during his ruts.” Donghyuck said it so calmly, simply throwing the sentence away, but it felt as if Renjun’s world turned on his axis.

“I’m sorry?” Renjun’s voice squeaked out, making Donghyuck flinch at the high sound. When he caught sight of the flushed and startled look on Renjun’s face he smirked, rolling his eyes.

“Not like that, come on Renjun. He just makes sure he eats and doesn’t tear a hole in his wall or something. I don’t know,” he punctuated with an indifferent shrug.

“O-Oh.”

Renjun could feel his whole body on the verge of one massive cringe, his ears so hot you could probably start a fire with the heat radiating off of them. Why had his thoughts gone straight to that, anyways? He needed to get his mind out of the gutter, that’s for sure.

“But, wait, if Jeno is helping him, how will you ask him when Jaemin’s rut is over?” Donghyuck simply tapped a finger to the side of his head.

“I’ll just mind link him. Didn’t they use it or at least tell you about it in your old pack?” Renjun furrowed his brow trying to recall if anyone had ever told him about it before. He must have heard something in passing at one time or another.

“Well, I know I definitely have never done it, so,” Hyuck exhaled with a pinched expression on his face.

“Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me. Well, when you’re really close to someone and they’re a part of your pack, you can usually open up your minds to one another after you’ve presented. It’s supposed to be used for hunting and communication in our wolf forms. It’s also nice if I want Mark to get me extra dessert at dinner, but he’s all the way at the end of the table and can’t hear me,” wiggling his eyebrows, Donghyuck pretended to flip his hair over his shoulder.

Renjun laughed at the sight, thinking back to Mark. He turned out to be rather friendly and always respected Renjun’s boundaries never once trying to pry.

Guilt started simmering low in his gut as he thought about how standoffish he had been to the beta. Sure, Renjun was still adapting, but Mark had been nothing but sweet these past three days. He had even offered to go on runs with Renjun himself.

Although, it never happened since Donghyuck would always insist he wanted to go with Renjun instead.

“Mark is really nice. I feel kinda bad about being so cold to him,” Donghyuck’s face changed to something more somber as he looked down to his feet.

“Yeah. Mark’s too nice,” wiping a thoughtful look off of his face, his expression quickly turned into something harsher before he scoffed, brushing the fringe out of his eyes.

“Hm. Is he one of the wolves courting you?” Sputtering, Donghyuck looked at Renjun like he was insane for even mentioning the possibility.

“Courting _me?_ Mark?” he laughed bitterly. “No way in hell.”

“Why not? You two would be cute.” Renjun didn’t miss the smallest of blushes that inked Donghyuck’s cheeks as he tried to brush the comment off.

“He’s not interested, but it doesn’t matter. I have plenty of suitors anyways, so,” throwing himself onto the center of his bed, Donghyuck groaned slowly. “Renjun. Do you think I’ll ever actually get mated?”

“What’s stopping you?” Renjun didn’t fully understand why he hadn’t just picked one of the several alphas, and one beta, that presented him with gifts and compliments almost daily.

“Don’t know. None of them just… feel like the right one. Y’know?” He turned his head back to Renjun who nodded in solidarity.

But, the truth was, Renjun didn’t know.

The only type of love he had ever experienced was his mother’s. Even though his father had claimed to love him before he presented, there’s no way love could be so flimsy that it would cease to exist the second Renjun became his true self.

Renjun threw his weight backwards flat onto the bed, snuggling into the nice pelts before cuddling up to a particularly soft one.

“Let’s just stay single forever?” Renjun mumbled into the fur, while Donghyuck snorted in response.

“You can stay single forever, but there’s no way in hell I am. I want a knot, and I mean a-“

“Hyuck! What the fuck!” Renjun gasped, reaching over to try and cover the other omega’s mouth who simply dodged him. Donghyuck had a teasing grin on his face as he stood up and faked innocence.

“What? I’m just saying that I want a big, fat-“

“I’m leaving!” Renjun screeched, plugging his ears with his fingers as he scrambled to stand and bolt out of the room, only Hyuck’s laughter and his footsteps echoing down the hallway.

Renjun stood outside of Jaemin’s cabin trying to hype himself up. Bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet, he shook his hands out to loosen his nerves.

For some reason as soon as Donghyuck let him know that Jaemin’s rut had ended a little over two hours ago, Renjun had gone and bathed and changed into a fresh new pair of clothing. He wasn’t sure exactly why, but his wolf basically dragged him to make sure he looked presentable for the alpha.

Which was stupid and he hated it. He shouldn’t have to feel like he needed to look pretty; he could look however he wanted, dammit!

As he went on the small tirade in his head, Renjun was startled out of his inner thoughts by a loud bang from inside. His instincts immediately went on high alert, anxious energy unfolding around him.

_Was Jaemin okay?_

“Jaemin?” Renjun called out much too softly for anyone to hear and also too far from the door as well.

Inching himself closer, he leaned sideways to get his ear close to the entrance in hopes that he could maybe make out what was going on inside. As he waited, he could hear no other concerning sounds, so he finally got up the nerve to knock.

Raising his hand, he jolted once more when a louder and more concerning noise came from the other side of the door.

“Jaemin!” Renjun called out loudly now, hoping that the alpha would respond quickly.

When several seconds ticked by with no answer, he gulped and decided that he needed to check on the other. It could be something serious for all he knew.

Extending his hand to the door, Renjun cautiously opened it. Peaking just past the entryway, Renjun noticed a rather spacious living room, giant fur rug, chimney, and all on his right. There was no one there, though, so he took one more tiny step forward.

“Hello?” He called out, his voice barely above a whisper. “Jaemin? Are you okay?” A sharp gasp rang out from somewhere to his left before another distressing thump echoed off the floors.

Renjun flung the door open, stepping fully inside and looking over to his left where he was pretty sure he had heard the noise.

He noticed a shallow hallway, and Renjun was able to see a door there as well. A small kitchenette was snuggled in the corner adjacent to an even smaller table that must be for eating.

And although his cabin really was very lovely, Jaemin even going so as far as to have a few vases of flowers strewn about, that wasn’t what caught Renjun’s eye.

Jaemin had Jeno pinned down to the wooden table, leaning over the other with an arm braced against its surface. Jeno was leaning backwards, the small of his back nestled tightly against the edge of the table; he had an arm grasped firmly onto Jaemin’s shirt pulling it roughly towards him.

They were also kissing.

Maybe kissing was too light of a word because what they were doing looked extremely intense.

Both of their mouths were open, and Renjun could swear there was tongue involved. Jaemin was biting at Jeno’s bottom lip, harshly pulling it out and even going so far as to suck on it a bit before letting go. Jeno brought his other hand up to hold Jaemin’s head harshly, laving his tongue into his mouth before turning his head the opposite way in order to kiss him even deeper.

All Renjun could see now was the top of Jaemin’s head as their faces were turned completely towards one another. And, as Jaemin leant over Jeno he blocked even more of their tangled bodies.

Frozen solid, Renjun was unable to break himself from the trance they had put him in, as he was literally stopped mid step completely entranced by the sight in front of him.

The air was absolutely saturated with their pheromones; their scents mingled to form an amalgamation of perfection that Renjun deemed only a Goddess could create. Their scents were so complimentary that Renjun wondered if maybe they were made for one another.

Jeno used his grasp on Jaemin’s shirt to pull him off as they both stared at one another panting wildly. Surging forward to latch onto the other’s neck, Jeno began sucking his way across Jaemin’s Adam’s apple, teeth dragging their way across the sensitive skin just above where Renjun figured his scent gland was.

“Fuck, Jeno,” the alpha chuckled, his voice horse and low.

“Not today,” he chided, dipping back in to mark Jaemin up some more.

When Jaemin began to growl and grunt possessively at the way Jeno softly bit him, teasing a mating mark, Renjun couldn’t help himself. The sight was so erotic; the implications that if jeno bit right then, both of the alphas would be bonded completely.

At a particularly forceful grunt from Jaemin, Renjun whimpered and it was singlehandedly the most humiliating moment of his life.

Unable to hold his instincts back, Renjun let the dam break. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his pheromones together so tightly until he let go and arousal instantly flushed through his body. Within seconds he could feel dampness gather between his legs, and the stuttered breath he took in was filled with the two alpha’s scents, only making it worse.

Jaemin’s eyes opened, turning slowly to see Renjun standing in the living room with the front door still open. The alpha’s eyes were dark and blown wide, his lips swollen and red, and his hair was askew as it must have been tugged upon.

When Jaemin’s demanding and lust-filled eyes met his own, Renjun whimpered once more trying to cave in on himself, each breath becoming torture as his entire lower half was slowly becoming soaked.

“Mmm, what’s that smell, Jaemin. Is that you? You smell so-“

Jeno looked up and followed Jaemin’s gaze over to Renjun who was still unmoving. With both of the alpha’s eyes locked onto him, Renjun could feel his legs becoming weak, threatening to give out.

Jaemin’s nostrils flared slightly, along with Jeno’s, and both of their gazes turned almost feral. Into something dark and wanting. Something possessive.

The air continued to grow heavier with tension, since no one dared to move a muscle with all three of them sensing how big of a moment this could potentially be. Both Jeno and Jaemin’s chests were heaving while Renjun continued to tremble all over.

When Jaemin began to stand up, righting himself fully, the spell was broken. Finally, Renjun realized just exactly where he was and what was going on. Releasing a shaky breath, the omega brought his twitching hands up towards his chest which were aching to reach out to the two and touch.

“I’m sorry!” Renjun all but screamed before turning to exit Jaemin’s cabin. His legs gave out, making him hit his knees harshly onto the wooden floor before he scrambled ungracefully to stand back up and dart as fast as he possibly could away.

His heartbeat was rushing through his ears, and he was unable to hear anything else as he zipped back through their land and headed straight for the omega cabin. Renjun knew that unless you had permission, only omegas could go inside, so he knew he had to get there _and fast_.

It wasn’t long before the safe haven came into his sight, and he flung the door open so hard it must have shaken the entire cabin when it ricocheted against the wall, but Renjun didn’t care. Flying down the hallway to his room, Donghyuck slung his room’s door open and he barely caught an intensely confused face from his friend before he sped past him.

“What the- are you in heat? Why do you smell so strongly? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine! Not in heat! Gotta go!” He screamed as he slammed the door closed behind him in his still empty, small room. Legs on the verge of becoming completely useless, Renjun was somehow able to navigate himself over to his bed before collapsing.

Everything felt so intense, and Renjun couldn’t stop his mind from replaying the images he had seen that day over and over again.

Every time he blinked, it was a picture of Jeno kissing Jaemin, of the two of them with their lips locked, of their large hands and strong grips, and Renjun was about to go insane.

Rolling over onto his stomach, Renjun began to kick his legs, throwing a small tantrum over the whole situation. There he had been to apologize, and instead he had walked in and disturbed his… his _whatever_ time with Jeno!

Feeling like an absolute idiot, he cringed at the feeling of his drenched shorts. It was one of the least convenient things about being an omega that was for sure.

Even though he really needed a bath, Renjun refused to risk leaving his safe haven and instead vowed to hole himself up for as many days as it would take for everyone to forget this had happened because there was no way he would ever be able to face the two alphas again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (づ￣ ³￣)づ
> 
> (also if you've read my other norenmin simh as I was editing this I realized the similarites in this one scene to another in simh >-< lol I guess I have certain things I like that I can't shake)
> 
> My:  
> [Twitter ](https://twitter.com/tenspetal) and [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.qa/tenspetal)


	6. Chapter 6

It was a good thing Renjun was fast.

Every time he so much as smelled rosemary or clove, he was sprinting off in the opposite direction. There was even one time when a certain pack beta who was on cooking duty tried to serve him meat that was seasoned with citrus and basil and Renjun ended up dropping his plate on the ground before flinging himself inside of the omega’s cabin.

Donghyuck had resorted to teasing him mercilessly, going so far as to act like he had seen one of the alphas nearby just to make Renjun jump out of his skin. At least his friend had been kind enough to tell him that not only Jaemin knew of the private bathing spot. Apparently Jeno also frequented it which caused Renjun to change his routine entirely.

Every night at what must have been far past midnight, when the moon had reached its peak in the sky, Renjun would tiptoe out of the cabin and venture into the woods alone to bathe. It ended up becoming a calming time for him, though. Being out in the forest at night with only the sounds of rushing water and the forest surrounding him soothed his soul.

It was also when he was able to think the most. To be able to have a clear mind to mull over the happenings in his life. Each time he would accidentally overwhelm himself by thinking himself into a hole, the energy from the forest seemed to pass through and comfort him. Letting him know that all in due time his questions would be answered.

Almost a week had passed since Renjun had seen Jaemin and Jeno going at it. Whenever the thought passed through him, he couldn’t help the goosebumps from breaking out across his skin. He was sure he would never be able to forget the way they looked or the sounds they had made.

Floating on his back, speckled with flecks of moonlight, Renjun let the night wash over him. The waterfall broke through the still surface of the pool sending tiny water droplets cascading towards him. One landed directly on his nose, tickling him and making him sneeze.

“Bless you.”

Renjun whipped his head around while sinking his body into the dark water, thankful for the night that covered his naked form from the other. Jeno had a reserved smile on his face as he stood at the edge of the water, a spare set of clothes in hand. Seeing that the other intended to bathe made Renjun sink even further that into the water, only his nose and eyes above it.

“Can’t sleep?” Jeno asked with a tone one might use for awkward small talk, not a tone you’d use with someone who caught you making out with another alpha who was apparently also your best friend? And who you had also sent into rut.

“Do you mind if I bathe? If you do I can walk back to the stream.” Renjun slowly bobbed up, lifting his lips just above the water.

“I-It’s okay. You can come in.” With his eyes smiling, Jeno quickly began to strip his shirt off which made Renjun blush something fierce because- _oh wow was that a six pack?_

Turning around in the water, Renjun doggy paddled over to the waterfall, hiding on the underside of it, pressed up against the cool slick rocks. With the distortion from the water, he wasn’t able to make out the alpha’s nakedness, just a broad body that slowly waded into the pool, his deep midnight hair blending into the darkness.

Renjun swiveled back around to face the rocks, and ducked his head under the water before coming back up and flicking his head back. Running his fingers through his hair, he heard soft splashes coming from behind him, and he couldn’t resist the temptation.

Peeking over his shoulder, Renjun could make out thick muscled arms splashing water onto his face, while Jeno’s back flexed prettily and—oh—when had he come out from behind the waterfall?

With a clear view of Jeno’s naked body, Renjun could feel his pheromones increasing, and apparently so could Jeno. He stiffened for a moment before turning around to face the omega who had his arms crossed across his chest to hide.

Squeaking at being discovered, Renjun skittered directly underneath the cascading water, letting it forcefully beat down across his body in the hopes that he wouldn’t smell as strong. If Renjun heard the alpha giggle, he was willingly ignoring that fact to instead semi-drown himself so he could avoid facing him.

Renjun had been bathing for quite awhile now which was apparent by his wrinkled fingers, but now he was afraid to leave the pool as he would have to show Jeno his nakedness. Although, the alpha had been decently well mannered, so maybe if he asked nicely Jeno would simply turn around.

Stepping from out of the waterfall, sputtering slightly and having to wipe away the drenched strands of hair from his eyes, Renjun cleared his throat to get the other’s attention.

Jeno turned on a dime, his eyes wide in surprise as he faced the omega who had once again lowered his entire body into the water to prevent himself from being seen.

“Um.” Renjun started, unsure where to go from there. Waiting patiently, Jeno fully faced his body, his torso completely exposed, towards him and that made this significantly harder to do.

His eyes danced across the planes of Jeno’s abs that were dusted with moonlight. It was nearly impossible to tear his gaze away from them, but when he did, Jeno was laughing quietly, which in turn made his abdomen flex. The alpha must have been trying to destroy him.

“Yes, Renjun?” His voice was full of mirth when he spoke, and Renjun knew the blush must have spread down to his chest by now too.

“I’m done, so I was wondering if you could maybe turn around? So I could leave?” Jeno’s smile turned tender as he tilted his head slightly, looking down at Renjun.

“Of course,” the alpha pivoted to the side, giving Renjun plenty of room to clamber out whenever he decided to.

For some reason he had expected it to be much harder to convince the other. He wasn’t sure why; maybe it was his still extremely low opinion of alphas. Beginning to wade to the edge of the pool to get out, Renjun paused when the water was down to the dip in his waist before turning around.

“I’m sorry!” The omega yelled. Jeno went to turn around, but stopped himself just in time.

“For what?”

“For… you know. Walking in and seeing you both,” his voice was small, but he knew the alpha could hear him. A surge of rosemary lemon spread across the water as Jeno cleared his throat loudly.

“It’s fine. Really. We didn’t mind.”

_They didn’t mind._

There was a lot to unpack in that sentence, but Renjun knew if he stayed any longer, his wolf was going to go crawling over to the naked alpha and beg to be knotted in the middle of the pool. Just the thought kicked his ass into gear when he could smell his own scent of sweet rose and lavender amplifying around him.

“Okay! Bye!” Renjun tripped while getting out, but quickly shifted, picking up his clothes with his mouth and choosing to run back as a wolf instead. It would help dry his fur and also he could get away much faster.

That night Renjun dreamt he was in a field of lemon trees, the sun shining down on him.

Since Jeno had taken the apology so well, and told Renjun that neither of them had really minded (which he still hadn’t had a chance to unpack), he began strolling normally through the grounds. He would visit his mom in the second story of the pack house where the lower ranked, mated wolves stayed. The room was still gorgeous though, and the view from her window was to die for.

But, what Renjun was really glad he didn’t have to avoid anymore was the training field. Even if it had ended horribly, the rush of sparring against Jaemin and watching the two other wolves spar before him still clung to his mind.

So, after lunch with Donghyuck and Mark that day where he got officially introduced to Chenle and Jisung, Renjun walked his way over to where he knew Ten would be working with the teenagers who had yet to present.

When he crested the hill after passing the healing center, Renjun heard the telltale signs of fighting, and could even slightly make out Ten’s high pitched voice calling out instructions.

Weaving through the small patch of trees, Renjun’s eyes widened at the sheer amount of people practicing. There were wolves partnered up everywhere and even more unshifted pack members circled off watching each other demonstrate some sort of move.

Ten was next to the large circle where he was giving his advice, so Renjun began to head that way. He could just hang back until there was a break in the practice, so he could ask when/ where he should go to be taught by him.

As he approached, a dainty tap on his shoulder made the omega lurch around, already on high defenses. It was a wolf who he had never seen, a _beautiful_ wolf he had never seen, and they were laughing at his startled expression almost sounding as if they were choking on their own breath.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m Taeyong!” His voice was nasally, but pleasant and Renjun quickly smiled at finally meeting the other male omega.

“Oh! Hello! You’re the other male omega besides Ten who helps teach, right? Donghyuck and Mark told me about you!”

“All good things I hope,” he smiled prettily, making Renjun’s breath hitch.

“Y-Yes.”

“So, I couldn’t help but notice that you’ve presented, and I hadn’t met you before so I was wondering what business you had here?”

“Ah! Right! I’m Renjun,” he said, extending his hand so that Taeyong could shake it. “I came to talk to Ten, since I had met him before. He said he would help teach me some skills since my old pack didn’t believe in ‘allowing’ omegas to hunt or fight.”

Taeyong’s demeanor and facial expression changed in a snap, going from happy and open to pissed and closed off.

“You’re from the pack we attacked a couple weeks back, right?” Renjun nodded and Taeyong scoffed. “Makes sense then that they would be omega haters. Stupid bastards.”

Renjun wanted to ask and probe more, but at that moment a tall—very tall—alpha swooped up behind Taeyong and pulled him off of his feet laughing. Taeyong quickly turned himself midair to elbow the alpha harshly in the side, making him drop him back to the ground.

“Johnny! I told you hated being picked up. Leave that between you and Ten.”

“Aw, but babe,” the giant alpha leaned down, placing a kiss onto Taeyong’s cheek, “I want to pick you up too!”

Renjun figured that they must be mates from how they were acting. Looking at the alpha’s neck to confirm his suspicions, he spotted a pink scar that indicated a mating bite, but as he went to look for Taeyong’s his eyes raked over another mating bite on the opposite side of the alpha’s neck. Was this guy cheating on Taeyong?

“Why do you have two mating marks?” Renjun knew his tone was harsh, but he’d be damned if he let an alpha take advantage of another omega ever again. When the towering alpha responded with a large laugh, throwing his head back happily, Renjun simply scowled harder.

“I’m Johnny. Nice to meet you, too! I have two marks because I have two mates! Tennie and Taeyongie,” he proved his point by leaning down to kiss Taeyong’s lips lightly who blushed in response.

Renjun could feel his brain slow down to try and process each of Johnny’s words individually. To try and make sense of the utter chaos of a sentence he had just unloaded onto the poor omega.

Two marks?

Two _mates?_

“You can do that? Since when?” He sounded breathless as his eyes shifted between the two, both of them smiling with adoration in their eyes.

“Why not?” Taeyong asked, shrugging.

“Ten and Taeyong fell in love while I was hopelessly admiring them from afar,” Johnny very lightly smacked Taeyong’s arm when the omega began to laugh at his misfortune. “Anyways, I just kind of asked them both out one day. Now, flash forward six years later and voila!”

“Two? Mates?”

“I think you broke the poor boy,” he heard Taeyong’s voice slowly sink into Renjun’s mind as he still tried to understand just exactly how something like that would work.

“But-“

“Oh, Renjun!” He heard the familiar omega voice shout from behind him. Turning around, Renjun saw Ten waving cheerfully at him while a couple of kids were groaning and holding bruised limbs behind him. Jogging over, he stopped in front of Renjun before ruffling his hair happily.

“Hi, Ten.”

“You finally came back, huh? I won’t lie, I was expecting you a bit sooner.”

“I know, I’m sorry. Something… came up.” Renjun’s palms began to sweat when he thought about what exactly had happened to keep him away.

“It’s fine. My lesson with the kids is almost over, so we can practice some one on one rounds.”

“Really? One on one? Do you mean it?” Renjun was practically vibrating with excitement, his hands curled into little balls as he bounced in place making the three around him coo.

“He’s so cute. I’m adopting him,” Taeyong claimed before Ten could send his mate a glare.

“I’ve already claimed him. Fuck off.”

“So harsh, Tennie,” Taeyong pouted at Ten while Johnny chuckled softly.

“Alright, Renjun. Let’s get down to business.”

Ten spent the better part of an hour going over the basics with Renjun. He wasn’t upset about not jumping straight to the hard stuff because he knew this is where the real talent would be built up from. When Renjun told Ten that he hadn’t been taught in what must have been five years now, the anger was apparent on his face.

But, Renjun promised Ten he would work diligently to make up for lost time.

Block after block, Renjun could feel the outsides of his wrists becoming bruised. His shin was beginning to ache from where he had kicked against Ten what must have been one hundred times now. Even his back had begun to ache from the constant ducking and weaving they had been going over.

“Alright,” Ten stopped Renjun, both of them breathing harshly. Although, it was very obvious that Renjun was in much worse shape. “Let me see if I can call someone over to spar the basics with you. Have you actually put what you’ve learned into action.”

Renjun nodded, his hands on his hips and excited to see just who he would fight. Hopefully it was someone far different from Ten, so he could get practice with different types of builds.

His dreams had come true when five minutes later a golden tanned god walked onto the field, a giant smile and his arms swinging wildly to wave at Ten. The other must have been just as tall as Johnny and possibly even more broad. It didn’t take a genius to tell right off the bat that he was an alpha as well.

The prospect of dueling this alpha made Renjun smirk, eager to put one in their place. Hopefully, he’d be able to do as much.

“Renjun, this is Yukhei. Yukhei, this is Renjun. He’s new and I’m giving him some personal training to make up for his shitty pack treating him like a weakling,” Ten stated bluntly, before turning to Renjun. “No offence.”

“None taken,” he responded with a small smile, even though Ten looked like the furthest thing from sorry.

“Hey, uh, hi! I’m Yukhei, um, hey!” The big alpha shot him a cute smile with lots of teeth as he bashfully scratched the back of his head. Renjun smiled at the display of shyness; it felt refreshing coming from someone who wasn’t an omega.

“Hey! Are you ready to fight?” Renjun playfully jabbed, making Yukhei laugh awkwardly while he fiddled with his thumbs.

“Yeah. For sure.”

“Alright,” Ten led them over to the dirt circle, “We’re not shifting today, so don’t even try it. This will be sparring using the basics, so try not to throw in any fancy stuff.”

“Sure!”

“Okay!”

“Get ready!” Ten called before shouting out for them to start.

The fight went smoothly, but Renjun was pretty sure it was because Yukhei was going easy on him. Ten was even telling the alpha to not pull his punches, but it seemed like every time before the last second, he would pull his fist or leg back slightly, making it much easier for Renjun to recover or to dodge.

Neither of them came out with any major injuries; only Yukhei had a rather large bruise that was beginning to blossom on the side of his mouth and jaw. He had gotten it when he let Renjun close to his face, and the alpha had all but let him punch the shit out of him. That had been when Ten called it.

“What got into you today, huh?” Ten teased Yukhei, standing on his toes in order to pinch his cheek playfully.

“Uh, dunno, just,” he made a motion like his head exploded which made both of the omegas laugh. When he looked back to Yukhei, he saw his eyes already on him, grinning from ear to ear.

“Alright, well I’ll see you tomorrow, Renjun. Same time! Don’t be late!” Ten called out over his shoulder as he began to run.

Renjun couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he shook his head at his mentor.

His mentor. It felt good to say that.

“So, what are you up to now?” Pulled from his thoughts, Renjun looked up to Yukhei who had his eyes locked on the grass, kicking it with the toe of his shoe.

“Uh, probably either going to take a bath and nap or just take a bath. I’m beat,” Renjun stretched his arms high above his head, feeling the muscles in his limbs pull as soreness lingered in them.

“Oh! Naps are great,” Yukhei smiled again, following Renjun as they both walked back into the heart of their territory. He couldn’t help but to be endeared by the alpha’s smile.

“Yeah. The only problem is I don’t have any furs on my bed, so I’m kind of just sleeping on wood every night,” giggling, he looked up to see Yukhei’s shocked expression.

“You don’t have anything? Not a single pelt?”

“Nope,” Renjun answered, popping the p. “Since I’m new here and no one is courting me, I have no pelts.”

“Well, I have more than enough, if you want?” Renjun’s steps stuttered lightly as he observed the alpha. His stature was caved in on himself as if he was nervous, and he really only seemed like a big puppy.

Thinking back to when he had denied Jeno his offer, Renjun remembered how stupid he had felt after. Besides, it’s not like he was courting him or anything; he had made a new friend. Renjun realized that this was his first official alpha friend and gasped softly which made Yukhei snap his eyes up from the ground where they had been staring.

“Sure! I’ll take a couple of furs, Yukhei!” The alpha’s smile made a reappearance, and Renjun almost wanted to coddle him because he reminded him so much of a giant, cute child.

“Great! Let me take you by my cabin really quick!”

The two of them walked on the edge of the mainland where it was much woodsier. When they arrived, Renjun noted right away that Yukhei’s cabin was smaller than Jaemin’s, but still very quaint.

“Your place is cute!”

“You like it?” His eyes widened at the compliment.

“Yeah! You guys make your own places once you’re ready to mate, right? It’s nice!”

“O-Oh. Thanks!” Yukhei opened the door and let Renjun into the charming inside.

There was scattered furniture and it was all one room, the bed in the far right corner, pressed against the wall was overflowing with furs. Leading him over towards the pile there, Yukhei turned and sent him a reserved smile.

“Feel free to pick whatever two you like. Or three! Or, honestly, you can take them all if you want.” Renjun laughed at his chivalry, shaking his head before he approached the heap and began sorting through them.

Yukhei smelled like the woods themselves, maybe even with a hint of campfire smoke. Since it was similar to his everyday surroundings, Renjun found the smell to be tolerable.

As he rifled through them, his hands stopped when he touched an especially soft grey one; he could tell right away that it was probably his nicest one, so he continued to search.

“Wait!” Renjun looked up at the alpha, confused. “You like that one, right? Take it,” Yukhei leaned down and pulled the large grey blanket out.

Random streaks of black and even tiny parts of brown ran throughout the coat and Renjun’s omega couldn’t resist reaching out and snuggling face first into it. He heard the alpha chuckle in response, but Renjun couldn’t stop scenting the softest fur he had ever felt.

“What is it?” he asked, his voice sounding muffled as he continued to press his face against the pelt.

“It’s fox fur. Took me almost a whole year to make it.” Renjun gasped and immediately let go, stepping away from it.

“I can’t accept this then!” For some reason Yukhei looked gutted at Renjun’s response.

“No, I mean it! Take it! I never use it anyways. It’s too thick for me and I get too hot at night.” He really should have put up more of a fight, but when Yukhei insisted, his wolf began to purr, edging him forward in order to accept.

“Thank you, Yukhei,” Renjun whispered before snuggling back into the plush blanket.

“Of course!”

After they chatted for a few more minutes, Renjun took the beautiful fox quilt and a much easier made blanket from Yukhei and brought them to the omega cabin. The alpha had accompanied him on the trek back and sent him off with a kind goodbye before Renjun entered and happily made his way to his room.

Spending a few minutes arranging the furs the way he wanted them, he stared down in longing at his newly decorated bed before he decided that he should bathe first before he passed out for what would probably be a several hours long nap.

Grabbing some clothes, he made the now very familiar journey to his bathing spot.

Renjun had barely pulled his shorts off before he was launching himself from the raised rock straight into the waterfall. The splash rang out across the small alcove and the cool water felt like sin on his skin.

Renjun felt so unbelievably satisfied with how his day had gone, and also so proud of himself for besting an alpha in combat. Even if Yukhei was distracted, it was his own problem to let his guard down so that he would get his ass whooped, not Renjun’s.

“Oh.” Turning around, a very naked Jaemin who was already soaking wet stood at the edge of the water. Renjun blinked incredulously, the only thing going through his mind was that he needed to find his own new place to bathe, it seemed. “I had been bathing before, but needed to get out to… you know,” he awkwardly motioned.

“Do-Do you want me to leave?” Renjun shrunk into himself, worried that the alpha was mad at him for the other day. Just because Jeno had said they hadn’t minded didn’t mean that it was necessarily the truth

“What? No! It’s fine! I’m almost done anyways.”

Making a fatal mistake, Renjun let his eyes wander down Jaemin’s long toned body. He was all lean muscle, and he looked like a great fighter. Where Jeno’s body screamed strength and power, Jaemin’s screamed precision and agility.

Naturally, he also had a six pack.

Before his eyes could dip any lower, Renjun turned around and began to dunk his head to get rid of the sweat from his day.

“So, how has your day been?” Jaemin asked, his voice screaming trepidation. Glimpsing backwards, Renjun turned to face the alpha when he realized he was submerged and there was no risk of seeing too much of Jaemin.

“I worked with Ten some, and uh, speaking of that,” Renjun let his hands glide across the surface of the water, letting little ripples branch out in his wake. “I’m sorry about, uh, the rut thing? If that was my fault, or whatever.” Jaemin giggled making Renjun look up to see him smiling a smile so bright it could rival the sun.

“It’s fine, Injunnie.” _Injunnie?_ “It was due soon anyways. You can’t help that you smell so amazing, can you?” Renjun’s cheeks lit up with a flush at the compliment, before he stared at the water.

“Yeah, whatever,” he grumbled, angry that the alpha had made him bush.

“But today you don’t smell as strongly, probably because we’re in the water and-“ Jaemin had begun to scent the air, but his face stopped suddenly as the mood shifted.

“Jaemin?” Renjun questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

“Why do you smell like another alpha?”

“…w-what?” Renjun breathed out, his heart beating fast at the serious look on the alpha’s face.

“You smell like an alpha scented you. Who scented you?”

“I-I didn’t get scented. I fought Yukhei, but other than that-“ Renjun blinked thinking back to how he rubbed himself all over the other’s furs that smelt distinctly of him. And, for some reason, he genuinely felt guilty.

“Did he scent you?”

“No, he- I, no. He let me borrow some pelts because I still didn’t have any and I kind of scented them myself.”

“Wait, you still didn’t have any furs for your room?”

“Not till today,” Renjun muttered, his eyebrows pulled down into a scowl as he suddenly became upset for some reason.

“Oh, baby. I’m so sorry, that’s my fault.” Renjun’s chest tightened at the term of endearment.

“Baby?” Jaemin grinned gently before wading forward towards the other.

“I should have given you all of my best furs as soon as you settled in that night. I’m sorry.”

For some reason, the alpha apologizing made Renjun’s wolf huff in satisfaction, as if he hadn’t been happy or satisfied with Yukhei’s. Like it hadn’t been his first choice. Imagining himself wrapped up at night in blankets that smelt of Jaemin sounded like a dream. In fact, he didn’t think he could sleep with Yukhei’s furs at all now.

“Really?” He squeaked, wolf on the verge of purring.

“Really.” Jaemin got closer, close enough that he could cup Renjun’s jaw and tilt his head upwards. “I know we haven’t gotten to talk these things out, but promise me you won’t accept courting gifts from other wolves that aren’t me or Jeno. Okay?”

The alpha’s voice sounded so vulnerable, and his eyes were shining with sincerity and adoration.

But, was that adoration for Renjun?

“I promise,” he found himself whispering without giving it much thought.

It felt right when he said it though, as if a weight was lifted off of his chest. As if things were finally beginning to come together.

Jaemin let his thumb trace Renjun’s jaw line, their eyes locked onto one another’s. Bringing his other hand up, he held the opposite side of the omega’s face and smiled modestly.

“Thank you.”

The air around them hung suspended, like even the smallest of things, like a rustling breeze, could break it. Renjun saw nothing but Jaemin and his eyes, and he was pretty sure the other was coming closer too. His face timidly making its way towards Renjun as to not startle or scare him.

When they weren’t more than a breath’s width away, Jaemin’s eyes became slightly unfocused before clearing a few seconds later. His face dropped as he stood back up and turned his head in the direction of their camp.

“That was my father.” Renjun exhaled a shaky breath, nodding in understanding while being completely overwhelmed by what had almost happened.

“Oh. Okay.” Jaemin sighed, running his hands through his hair a few times before turning back and sending him a forced smile.

“I think you’re finally going to have some of your questions answered, Renjun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> duh duh duhhhhnnnn


	7. Chapter 7

Jaemin’s father, the pack alpha, had finally called together a large meeting which everyone was to attend, pack member or not. He had just reached out to Jaemin who needed to go and help set things up. It was also important for the future alpha to be there before the rest of the pack.

Setting off, Jaemin sent Renjun a small wave goodbye before shifting and running off through the woods. Renjun let himself sink under the water, thinking about what all had happened and if he was truly ready to finally get some answers.

Once he was pruny, Renjun got out and dried himself off, mourning the nap that he had been going to take. His mind was far too preoccupied to get any sleep now.

Running into Donghyuck just inside the omega cabin, he briefly explained Jaemin and his interaction, conveniently leaving out the part where they almost kissed. When Renjun mused aloud if he would finally see his father again or not, he didn’t miss the curious look the other omega shot him out of the corner of his eye.

On the opposite side of the dining hall at the pack house and across the entrance hallway, was a large hall that they used for meetings such as these.

There was only standing room due to the sheer size of the pack, so Renjun followed on Donghyuck’s heels, heading towards the front left of the decently sized platform where the head ranking alphas stood. Jaemin was included in the lineup, and seeing him next to the other powerful wolves, it finally hit Renjun just how important the alpha was.

“Hey,” a whisper came from behind him. Turning Renjun spotted Jeno who smiled cutely down at him. Scooting over into Donghyuck’s side, he made room for the alpha who reached over and hesitantly ran his fingers through Renjun’s hair once, making the omega blush something fierce.

“Excuse me, ‘scuse me. Oh, sorry! Excuse me.”

“Xuxi, I swear,” Donghyuck tsked next to Renjun as the large bumbling alpha stumbled his way towards them, a large smile on his face.

“Hi Hyuck! Jeno,” Yukhei greeted them happily before his eyes softened and he looked down at Renjun who felt slightly on edge, thinking about Jaemin’s words earlier. It would probably be the right thing to return the furs he had given him.

“Hey, Yukhei-“

“Renjun! Did you get to take that nap? How are the furs?” Inclining his head, the alpha looked so cute, Renjun felt like he was about to kick a puppy. Cutting him off as his mouth opened, Renjun felt Jeno shift behind him, subtly pressing his front against Renjun’s back.

“Furs? What furs?” The question was directed to Renjun, but not picking up on the jealous undercurrent in Jeno’s question, Yukhei answered.

“Oh! He didn’t have any pelts for his bed, so he came over and picked out a couple of mine to sleep on!” A sharp inhale of breath came from right behind Renjun’s ear.

“Jeno,” Renjun turned his head to quickly explain, talking under his breath.

“I see. Are you courting him then?” Jeno bluntly asked the other alpha, his face not giving any of his emotions away. Renjun and Yukhei spit and sputtered in unison while Donghyuck’s face looked like he was watching the most interesting drama of his entire life unfold right in front of his eyes.

“I-I mean- we just met today! I don’t know!” Yukhei floundered, his ears turning bright red.

“Jeno,” Renjun whispered, facing the other alpha. He was becoming fidgety and uncomfortable at the tension radiating off of Jeno; it was setting his wolf on edge, too. Shifting behind him, he could feel Jeno move to posture and release warning pheromones. As soon as he did this, Yukhei’s alpha responded, going into defensive mode.

“I haven’t even gotten to talk to him about this, so I don’t really appreciate you bringing it up here,” Yukhei’s eyes were darkening, and Renjun could see that his wolf was beginning to take over, the bashful alpha being replaced by something harsher.

Both alphas were standing to their full height, and although Yukhei’s build was much larger than Jeno’s, something told Renjun that if they were to fight, Jeno would still be the one to win.

Renjun breathed in deeply, focusing on calming himself before releasing his scent into the air in hopes to quell the situation. He knew omegas could help calm alphas down and vice versa, so hopefully this would solve the quickly escalating situation.

Slowly but surely the tensity in the air mellowed out to something still slightly uncomfortable, but nowhere near as high tension as before.

“Damn. That was entertaining as hell. I wish I had a snack while watching that,” Donghyuck bluntly stated, breaking the remaining uncomfortable vibe down into something much more palatable. Renjun began to giggle, and he could see the stiffness bleed out of both of the alpha’s shoulders.

Raising his eyes back to the stage, he noticed Jaemin was now on the edge near them, his eyes focused and unwavering. When Renjun spotted him, he let the smallest of grins slip before he was turning and marching back to his dad.

“It seems as if everyone is here. Now, let me begin to explain for the few of you that have migrated over from the pack we recently absolved,” a large man who was Jaemin’s height began speaking in a loud, gruff voice. Renjun deduced that he was the pack alpha right away.

“If I’ve been unable to meet you, I apologize. My second and third in command, along with myself, have been rather busy investigating and making sure there were no misunderstandings or wrongful attacks on our part.

“I’m sure the handful of you left here are curious as to why we attacked you that night a few weeks back. Well, there were some rules that had been violated, and they had been violated for several years, in fact. Our pack was made aware of the smaller pack’s unwelcomed presence on our land years ago, before I was even the alpha here. Since they were very small, we simply gave them a warning and let them go.

“But instead of taking heed, they became nomadic and moved around just on the borders of our territory. They stole from our woods. Our sacred forests that the moon goddess gave to us when she first placed us on this Earth. Their alphas even snuck into our camps and took things they thought we would never notice.” A somber hush settled amongst the crowd and Renjun felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on edge.

“They took things precious to us,” the alpha trailed off, and sorrow drifted through the air. “If you are part of our pack, then you are aware of this story, but let me fill our newcomers in on the tragedy that happened many moons ago.

“Our pack was expanding readily, and when fall came several couples of mates found themselves pregnant, including my mate and I,” his eyes flashed over to Jaemin briefly who was standing just behind his father. “We were overrun with pups; our nursery was in the middle of being rebuilt and expanded to accommodate them when they grew a bit bigger.

“That spring, almost twenty-two years ago now, we lost two of our pups.”

Renjun felt his hands begin to sweat, nerves wracking through his small body while the nape of his neck grew damp with anxiety. Did he mean that they had passed away? What did this have to do with his old pack?

“One of our boys and one of our girls went missing in the early morning hours. It took far too long for us to notice, but we still tried our absolute hardest.

”Our trackers picked up a scent, but the perpetrators were too far gone by the time we had made our move. Two pairs of mates lost their children that day, and with it a piece of their souls. Grief swallowed them whole, and we lost four important, irreplaceable pack members that year along with our two pups.

“The years may have passed, but we have never forgotten, and our search for our lost pack members never stopped. The scent of those who had taken our own was ingrained in the memories of the ones who had tracked them, unable to forget the others who could commit such a crime.

“Almost two months ago now while patrolling, one of our wolves deviated from the set path we have. Our woods spoke to her, told her where to go, leading her straight to the camp of those who were taking from us brazenly.

“When we went back to observe, our oldest tracker smelt it. The scent of the wolf he had never been able to forget. As we watched the pack it wasn’t hard to tell that they were weak and vulnerable; their numbers were small and their lack of warriors was blatantly apparent. It wouldn’t take much to tame them, but the question of whether or not the two children we had lost were still with them was our priority.

“Unfortunately, we never learned of the two pup’s scent, so attacking and conquering their camp was our first goal. We could question those in power after the fact, making sure they would decide to tell us the truth of that matter. Of what had actually happened to our own kin. Which is exactly what they did.”

“They were the ones to take from us.”

Sharp gasps rang across the hall, one of the loudest ones coming from Renjun himself. His mind ran through all of his pack mates he had grown up with, wondering which ones had never belonged at all.

“Their reason as to why they had stolen from us was in the hopes of expanding their own guard, to make their defenses and attack stronger. They had meant to take two boys, but accidentally grabbed one girl instead,” the alpha scoffed, nothing but pure loathing in his eyes.

“They have yet to disclose who our members are that were taken from us the spring of 00’, but we hope that it is one of the few of you left among us,” his face turned into a regretful smile, but Renjun had stopped listening.

His eyes became unfocused as he ran back over just exactly what the pack alpha had said. It was one boy and one girl that they had taken. In the summer of 00’, which, according to the moon cycles, was the spring in which Renjun was born. There were many girls who had been born that spring; in fact, Renjun was the only boy that year among the pack.

Renjun was the only boy, the only male, born that year.

But, the pack alpha must have gotten the math or the timing wrong because he trusted his mother of all people. She had always been there for him; had always supported and cared for him like a mother would with their own child.

Which he was.

He was her child.

Eyes shaking, Renjun briefly scanned the room, looking for the most familiar face among them. The face of the person who he trusted and loved the most.

The one who he would protect with his own life.

Everyone was focused on the front of the room where the alpha was still speaking. Everyone but two people, that is.

Renjun and his mother who was staring at him from several feet away, her eyes wide and shining.

They gazed at one another, only the sound of his heartbeat could be heard over the rush of his blood in his ears. Renjun wasn’t quite sure just how long they stared at one another, but it was his mother who ended the silent show down.

Shaking her head, she mouthed something to Renjun that would turn his entire life upside down.

_I’m sorry._

Her face read as nothing but sincere; the pure honesty in his mother’s eyes could be seen from space, her urgency amplifying it. Making her way politely through the crowd, his mother began to try and head towards him.

To her son—

To a stranger, not her son.

To a boy who she had stolen away.

Renjun turned his head slowly to face back towards the stage, his entire body feeling numb. Bile began to sneak its way up his throat, and his world teased him by tilting ever so slightly on its axis.

Blinking twice, Renjun realized he had been making eye contact with Jaemin whose face was painted with unsettled distress. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Renjun knew the alpha was mouthing something to him. Trying to speak some form of words to him, but with every passing second his mother got one step closer.

What would he do if she tried to speak to him? If she tried to apologize and make things new, better, or okay?

All at once, feeling rushed its way back into his body, spreading like wildfire throughout him, down to the tips of his fingers. His heart racing, his mind overwhelmed, and panic breathing life inside of him.

He had to leave.

Slowly, he pivoted and began to make his way calmly through the crowd to the side exit which led back to the main hallway. But, when he could hear the soft calls from Jeno and Donghyuck, the alpha hot on his trail, he abandoned the last thread of sanity he had been clinging to.

Beginning to walk faster, Renjun kept his head down. When his name sounded closer as he squeaked his way past a small beta, Renjun flung the log door open and let his feet fly across the ground.

He knew the door had slammed into the wall, which must have aroused several other’s attention, but he didn’t care. Feet pounding against the floor again and again propelled him away from the truth. The truth that he couldn’t handle, that he couldn’t hear, that he couldn’t take.

This changed everything, and that wasn’t something he was ready for.

“Renjun!” Jeno yelled loudly, sounding far too close to the omega for his liking. As he burst through the last door separating Renjun from the outside, mid stride he shifted, the nice pair of clothing, his favorites actually, ripping to shreds by his changing. “Wait!”

Paws hit the Earth, beating a steady rhythm through his chest as he broke through the tree line. The exhaustion he had felt earlier in the day had all but vanished; he swallowed the small aches in his muscles and pushed forward even faster.

Sinking back into his subconscious, he let his wolf truly take over, becoming almost feral in this race from his problems. Scenery whipped past him, his vision completely blurred while his instincts allowed him to push forward, the sole reason he was able to navigate the overgrown foliage in the state he was currently in.

Renjun could no longer hear Jeno, but he knew that everywhere he ran, he was leaving his scent. That he was leaving his trail, making him easy to find.

The next stream he passed, he bolted against the strong current, wetting his fur and letting the water hide his trail for as long as possible, hopefully leading any and all others pursuing him astray.

His body carried itself, and Renjun knew he wouldn’t be able to find his way back even if he wanted to. There was such little awareness of his surroundings, and that’s the way he wanted it. To simply get lost in the large, encompassing forest.

Wherever his legs took him he decided was fate. The only thing he allowed himself to focus on was the sky changing from soft blues, to burnt oranges, to mild purple and blue hues.

Renjun knew his body had been slowing down for a while, aware that the second he gave in to his exhaustion, he wouldn’t be able to get back up. There was no way to know just exactly how far he had been run by now, but Renjun knew that he must have passed out of their territory long ago.

So, the next time he heard running water, Renjun let himself stumble towards it, his legs shaking with fatigue. Weariness had seeped into his bones, and the second he saw the small stream that trickled into a jagged pool, he collapsed.

Legs giving out underneath him, chest rising and falling at an alarming rate, and the ever present wetness that had been in his eyes slowly filling his vision. He laid on his side in the soil, dirt clinging to his fur.

He didn’t allow himself to think. He was terrified of what might happen if he did, so he simply closed his eyes and let his drained body tremble from overexertion.

Unfortunately, the nights were still rather chilly due to the time of year, and being close to water probably didn’t help either. But Renjun’s pelt was thick, so he wasn’t too terribly worried about catching something or becoming unwell.

He could stick it out. He was strong.

In the morning, he would allow himself to think. To process what his next move should be and where he should go from here. He wondered if he had the capability to go rogue, or if he would have to swallow his pride, tail between his legs, as he ran back to the people that were supposed to be his family, but felt like little more than strangers.

Cracking his eyes open the slightest bit, Renjun allowed himself to take in the stars. The beautiful lights in the sky. For old times sake, Renjun let his mind dream and lead him away to somewhere where things were simple. Where he could be happy. Where his reality was worth experiencing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ┏༼ ◉ ╭╮ ◉༽┓


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello, longer chapter to make up for the last one being so short  
> (っ◞‸◟c)

Renjun woke with the sun. As the horizon brightened, his eyes pried themselves open and the sunlight shone directly down upon him. He was thankful that he hadn’t gotten very cold last night; actually, he hadn’t even so much as moved once he fell asleep. His body recognized that it needed a deep rest, trying to recover from the mental stress he was currently put under.

But, he had promised himself that today he would think about it. Mull it all over and come to a decision of what his next move should be. Stretching out his front and then his hind legs, Renjun shook himself roughly, trying to rid himself of as much dirt as he could from a night of sleeping on the forest ground.

Trotting the small distance to the stream, Renjun lowered his snout and lapped up a bit of the water, shivering slightly at the cutting chill of it on his tongue. If the water was this cold just in the morning, Renjun couldn’t help but to wonder how the hell he had felt so warm all night.

Must be the fur.

Shifting back into his human form, Renjun waded into the small pool that the craggy stream poured into. It only came up to his knees and it was also only a few feet wide, but it was enough for him to clean the sweat and dirt from his body.

If he had thought he had been exhausted the day before, he was sorely mistaken. Emphasis on the sore.

Letting the cold seep through and jolt his muscles awake, Renjun laid back into the small pool. He knew his scent was getting washed away, further preventing anyone from finding him, but he couldn’t quite find it in himself to care.

Not yet at least.

He knew he had put enough distance between himself and anyone else, so he wasn’t too terribly worried about being found right away. He would have time to think.

Or, perhaps they might not even come for him at all.

As soon as the thought crossed through his mind, Renjun dismissed it. Jeno and Jaemin were absolutely stubborn beings, and if he was one of the stolen pups, then he should know better than to think that they would ever give up on finding him.

If they looked for twenty-two years, he didn’t doubt that they had it in them to search for a couple more days.

It was just him, his thoughts, and the sunrise out here. Fascinated by the way the sky slowly warmed up, a crescendo of light somehow seamlessly changing from orange to blue, Renjun realized that maybe he didn’t give the daytime the credit it deserved.

He had always allowed his mind to wander and dream at night, accompanied by the stars alone. But, watching the sight above him, he found himself realizing just how little he appreciated the opposite side of every day.

Sighing, Renjun closed his eyes and let himself relax for a few more minutes before he would tread into the serious reason of exactly why he was here. The stream trickled over his naked form, and when his eyes began to sting from the threat of tears, Renjun stood, choosing to shift back into his wolf and began to walk by the side of the water, following it.

_So, where to start?_

Well, his whole life was a lie, but there was a rather huge positive and huge negative to that.

The negative, obviously, being that his mother wasn’t his birth mother. She was a stranger who had taken a baby, or possibly had just raised said baby? He figured it was possible that she hadn’t known of the ordeal at all, and Renjun knew he shouldn’t just assume.

The positive was that the monster of a man he had called his father wasn’t truly his father. They shared no DNA; not a single piece of Renjun came from the horrid beta, and that alone was extremely soothing to think about.

Another positive: he was now currently in his destined pack. He was with the people he belonged with, and they loved and cherished omegas, unlike his other pack. Maybe, that was why Renjun had fit in so easily and so quickly.

Another negative: he should have grown up with these people. He should have never experienced all the insults, all the pranks, and the occasional bruises when he was caught off guard. None of it should have ever happened in the first place. Renjun should have grown up training, becoming strong, becoming a warrior. But, he had been treated as weak and feeble instead.

Huffing, he continued padding along the bank of the stream that was beginning to flow into a river now. The water was clearing into a more deep blue rather than the grey the pool had been from Renjun kicking up the mud on the bottom.

His thoughts all but vanished when he spotted plots of wild strawberries tucked just behind the first few trees on the opposite side of the river. Renjun splashed through to the other side before shifting out quickly, throwing his balance off slightly.

Squatting down, Renjun reached his hands forward to gather several of the berries, popping them into his mouth in the process. The ripe, red skin bursted in his mouth to make way for the tart sweetness that always came with his favorite kinds of berries. After finishing his first handful, Renjun picked another round before popping them in his mouth as he traversed on the opposite side of the river now, munching on the fruit.

It was starting to approach midmorning, when the sun would be near its peak in the sky, and Renjun felt warm from head to toe. The day was turning into a beautiful one, and Renjun was beginning to feel his heart tug in the direction of his new (or maybe he should call it old?) pack.

Also, the longer he walked, the more uncomfortable he began to feel, which was a pity since the weather was so nice. But, listening to his body, Renjun sat down against a large tree with a plethora of wide leaves and branches to relax under, letting the shade protect him from the sun’s rays.

Now, was time for the other part he needed to think about.

Jeno and Jaemin.

What on Earth was he supposed to do about them? Was the moon goddess laughing at him when she made two of the best smelling alphas in the world best friends and then sent them after Renjun?

Renjun wasn’t oblivious, maybe only a little bit, but he knew that Jeno and Jaemin had some kind of interest in him. If his scent could send one of them into an early rut, that should be proof enough.

But, honestly, they barely knew Renjun. They liked the way he smelled and that was it, and he refused to just roll over for the first alpha, or two, that swung their knot his way.

Shuddering at his analogy, Renjun stretched his hands above his head, his back popping quietly.

As he thought about the alphas, Renjun asked himself an important question that he had been avoiding. Did _he_ like the alphas as well?

He figured it was something similar. Their scents were to die for, and yes they were objectively gorgeously handsome, but besides them being alphas, Jaemin being the packs son, and both of them being good in combat there wasn’t much else he knew. It also didn’t help that he still wasn’t completely sold on the concept of alphas as a whole quite yet.

It was in times like these that he would try and sneak away to his mother, avoiding his dad, to cling to her. Take in her love and warmth; maybe get a few words of advice before skittering off. And the saddest part is he should be able to do that out in the open now, spend as long with her as he wanted since his father was no longer a threat, but instead…

Instead his heart was shattered in tiny fragments on the ground. Just thinking about his mother hurt. He knew he had already made up the decision to listen to her and hear her side of things, but Renjun also knew he was going to need time away from her before he could even do that.

And, if he was willing to forgive her, it would take even longer for the both of them to get back to the level of trust they had been at, if they ever even could.

As he thought of his almost mother, he realized he was truly alone in the world now. He truly, honest to goddess, had no one with him.

It was just Renjun.

His birth parents were no longer with them, according to the pack alpha, and he wasn’t even sure he could open that can of worms in his mind just yet. It simply _hurt._

_It hurt so badly._

He would make it, like he always had before, but he would need to heal.

Going to stand up, Renjun’s knees buckled underneath him as he suddenly felt weak. He knew it was approaching midday and he hadn’t had anything but berries to eat, so he cursed this spontaneous adventure to who knows where as he began to crawl to the edge of the fast flowing river.

As he had walked down past the strawberry bushes earlier, the river had grown much wider. And, Renjun knew if he wanted to cross back he would have to journey all the way to the berry bushes once more where it had been shallow and slow.

Sighing at the thought of even more exercise, Renjun took some of the water into his hands and drank it readily. It helped cool him and reinvigorate him slightly. This time when he stood, his legs no longer shook and he was able to make it back to the large oak he had been relaxing underneath.

Shifting back into his wolf form so that he could be ready to fight at any moment, Renjun rubbed his pheromones into the tree, hoping that that would help the pack in their mission to find him.

Deciding to take a small nap, Renjun curled into himself. The sun was slowly becoming unforgiving, and with his meager amount of food intake, he wasn’t sure if he could walk all the way back from the direction he came until it had crested and began to set.

Nuzzling his deep auburn colored snout under his paws, Renjun’s eyes fluttered shut. Letting his mind linger in the thoughts of his situation and what to do, it took awhile for him to calm down and finally fall asleep. The sound of the rushing river finally lulling him away.

Popping his snout out from under his paws, Renjun stretched himself forward noticing how hot he had become. The sun had shifted while he slept, and the shade that Renjun had been relaxing in had long since moved, making it to where he was directly in the sun with his thick coat, and it didn’t take long for him to notice he was overheating.

Whining, he tried to inch his way towards the water, but he felt so weak and sapped by the sun. So, shifting forms, Renjun pulled himself through the dirt and plunged his face into the river. He had always heard that if you were lost or surviving on your own, water was always the first thing you should find. And, boy was he glad he listened.

He pulled his head out, gasping for air before he leaned forward and stuck both of his arms all the way up to his shoulders into the current, letting his body slowly regulate back towards its normal temperature.

Each time Renjun thought he had cooled down enough, as soon as he pulled away, his body became fatigued with heat, forcing him back into the water.

When he had tried to retreat for the fifth time and he was wracked once again with the overwhelming temperature, he couldn’t help the small whimper that came forth from his lips. He let his head rest in the mud on the bank of the river, most of his hair and arms submerged.

He felt like a total and complete idiot.

Why had he run away? He was going to have a heat stroke and die out in the middle of the woods all because he had to go and be dramatic.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid._

Retracting himself once more from the water, he slunk backwards underneath the tree. The reprieve from the heat was, like the past few times, just as futile. His body began to tremble as soon as it was no longer being cooled down, but Renjun also knew the more time he spent in the water, the more his scent would wash away.

If he wanted them to find him, he would have to suck it up, and hope that someone was nearby.

Waiting was horrible. The only time Renjun was patient was when it came to hunting, but even then he had his limits. Sitting and biding his time to be rescued felt just as annoying as the cramps that had begun in his abdomen. His hair was becoming sweaty and matted down onto his forehead, and when another harsh cramp resounded through his body, it finally hit him.

He wasn’t just hot.

He was in heat.

The second he realized that, his body responded with a small wetness between his thighs as if to say ‘duh, took you long enough,’, and he couldn’t hold back the shiver as it all fully washed over him.

The emptiness, the clinginess, the need for someone, anyone.

At the thought that he needed ‘just anyone,’ his wolf growled from inside of him, and immediately two faces came to mind.

The thought of Jaemin and Jeno was a dangerous one, as his body seemed to prepare him with a speed so much faster than any of his other heats, fully foregoing the slow build up and simmer of heat that he was used to.

His skin felt like a furnace that he wanted to crawl out of just as soon his legs began to slide together due to all of his slick when he had tried to move.

Wriggling around uncomfortably, Renjun figured that at the very least his heat would amplify his scent, and he also had a feeling that if Jeno or Jaemin caught even the smallest of whiffs of him, they would be here within a minute.

What he didn’t think about, however, is the fact that there may be others who would find his scent tantalizing.

Renjun was splayed on the ground, chest pink and heaving as his body called out for help with his heat. Normally, he would begin to take care of himself by now, but the prospect of someone from the pack finding him… indisposed… was deterrent enough. 

When his sensitive ears picked up the pounding of paws coming from his side of the forest, Renjun became wary. It was true that he hadn’t really paid attention to which way he had been running yesterday evening, but he knew that this was the first time he crossed this stream. So, unless all of his instincts were wrong and he was just that turned around, he didn’t think that this was someone from the pack.

Using the tree trunk as leverage, he pulled himself into a standing position. His knees were moments away from giving out, but as more and more adrenaline was pumped through him, Renjun found it easier to stand.

When a large white wolf stalked around the corner of the tree line much further down the river, Renjun froze. He could feel the alpha’s pheromones permeating the air all the way from down where he was, and when the wolf turned its head and spotted Renjun, it began to run.

The alpha sprinted full force at Renjun, but he simply stared the other down before letting go of the tree and shifting himself to run full force directly at the alpha.

He could tell the other was confused, probably unsure if the omega was running quickly so that he could be mated or if he was so foolish to attack an alpha, especially in heat.

Renjun was finding more and more that he enjoyed catching others who underestimated him off guard.

Once he was close to the alpha, Renjun summoned all the strength he could muster and jumped up into the air, arching and coming down to land on the much larger wolf’s back. He couldn’t help but to be reminded of his first fight with Jaemin as he let his sharp incisors sink deep into the hide of this alpha, tearing away whatever he had grabbed a hold of in his mouth.

A splitting roar echoed from the white wolf’s mouth, as he easily tossed Renjun off of his body harshly, making him collide with a tree. It wasn’t too hard of a hit, so he quickly stood back up and sprinted around the backside of the alpha, settling into his blind spot.

As he lunged once more, the alpha turned at the last second, just in time to catch Renjun in his mouth. Teeth sunk into the scruff of his neck and he began to whimper loudly at the pain and vulnerability he felt.

The alpha threw him down to the ground before standing over him staring down with a wolfy grin that sent shivers up Renjun’s spine.

Not willing to give up that easily, Renjun tried to lurch forward and snap at the other’s neck, but the alpha easily put a paw on the side of his face, digging his head into the dirt and grass. He could feel the cockiness and triumph this alpha must be feeling, so Renjun took a risk.

Shifting into his human form, Renjun became significantly smaller, allowing him room to roll out from underneath the massive white wolf. The alpha didn’t know what hit him, when Renjun shifted back, midair, and knocked him down to his side with a huff.

Latching his teeth into wherever he could, Renjun began to pull chunks of white fur from the alpha’s body, not stopping for a second. Angry cries and growls erupted from beneath him before he was thrown off once again.

This time, though, Renjun was too fast for him to pin down. He darted out of the way of the other’s attack, before zigzagging and dodging the follow up attack the alpha also threw his way.

Scanning the area, Renjun tried to think of his next move. He needed to cross the river, so he had to get back to where it had been smaller, just a stream. Poising to jump over the wolf, Renjun took advantage of the fact that he knew the alpha thought he was going to attack again.

So, when the white wolf threw himself to the side, it provided a straight path for Renjun to leap forward and begin to fly down the side of the riverbank. Stumbling only once, he focused on his breathing, the feeling of the wind lashing across his face, the way his paws were grounded into the Earth with each step he took.

Finally, the river began to narrow into the stream once again, and he began to slow in order to pounce across. At his hesitation, Renjun turned to see the other wolf barreling towards him at full speed. Moving so that his line of attack wasn’t directed at Renjun’s neck, the white wolf latched himself onto his midsection, and rolled both of them into the water.

Jagged rocks scraped across his back as the stream doused them, getting into both of their eyes and preventing them from seeing just exactly what each other’s next moves would be.

Snapping his jaw, Renjun aimed for the vulnerable tendon in the wolf’s back leg, but missed, once again being pushed against the ground harshly. This time the alpha’s hold was different, it prevented Renjun from being able to shift and roll out like he had last time. Water rushed into his face as he was pressed down against the current, the wolf standing proudly above his conquest.

As Renjun’s eyes darted around, frantically trying to find an out, find a way to save himself again, the alpha was knocked sideways off of him and onto the other side of the stream. He slammed into a tree so hard, there was a resounding crack and Renjun was sure the trunk had split.

The wolf that had come to his rescue was as small as his own wolf, black fur coat with dark grey running through his fur sporadically. Growling at the alpha, the small wolf began to inch backwards before shifting and wrapping his arms around Renjun’s neck to shove him to the other side of the water.

Ten stood before him, eyes still locked onto the alpha that had begun to stand up, shaking his fur out as a deep, rumbling growl sprang free from his chest. When the white wolf began to stalk towards them again, Ten stood in front of Renjun.

“Don’t even fucking dare, you know this is our territory, and if you cross that line, you’ll start a turf war.” The alpha huffed, shifting into his human body. Wiping away some of the blood that was on his chin, the tall and wide shouldered man sneered before spitting onto the ground.

“Stupid omega bitches,” he cursed at the both of them. “Maybe your little bitch you’re guarding should think twice before going into heat on the cusp of _our_ territory. He was on neutral ground. I did nothing wrong.” Ten scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, no shit fucker. You didn’t break any rules, yet, but if you so much as take another step forward you will. And you know we won’t be as forgiving as last time.” The alpha’s eyes flashed a bright red, as a snarl so loud it could be classified as a roar was released from his lips.

“Watch what you say to me, omega!”

“Watch what you say to me, bastard!”

Ten and the alpha glared holes into each other, waiting to see if either of them would make a move. When the other finally seemed to realize there was no changing the situation, he briskly turned on his heel while changing forms before sprinting off into the woods. Both Renjun and Ten stood waiting until neither of them could hear him anymore.

When the only sounds that could be heard were the trickling water and the occasional breeze, Ten let his shoulders relax before turning to Renjun. Softly stroking the wolf’s head, Ten held Renjun’s face gently, a fatherly concern in his imploring eyes.

“Are you okay?” He whispered like he was speaking to a frightened animal.

Renjun let his wolf form melt away and collapsed onto his knees. With nothing distracting him now, his heat crashed over him so harshly, a sob broke from his lips as he collapsed.

“Fuck. I’m going to pick you up, okay? They know where we are. Johnny is close and he can carry you back much faster than I can.”

He knew Ten was speaking, but the words vanished just as quick as they appeared, nothing quite sticking to his consciousness, as he was far too overwhelmed with his body’s wants and needs. Picking up the small omega, Ten adjusted him in his arms before he began to lightly jog his way back through the woods.

“You did amazing, by the way. Against that alpha?”

“Hhnnn,” Renjun groaned out, his head falling to the side making Ten giggle. Although, the laugh strained as if he was trying to appear unaffected.

“I know you don’t know who that is, but that’s the White Pack’s second in command. You almost took down that pack’s second in command while you were _in heat_ ,” Ten whistled, shaking his head. “You’re something else kiddo.”

“Thanks,” Renjun wheezed out, trying to grasp onto Ten’s conversation in order to stay as present as possible.

The sounds of twigs cracked and branches flew past their heads as Ten continued to run as fast as he could while still carrying Renjun. He could tell the omega was starting to slow down, but he couldn’t blame him. They were practically the same size, both known for their speed and not their exuberant strength.

“Ten!” A deep voice called somewhere ahead of them.

“Oh, thank goddess, Johnny. You know I’m not strong enough for this.” Renjun felt himself get passed off to the alpha before they began to move significantly faster than they had been before.

“Fuck, he’s in heat?”

“Yeah. Had an alpha after him, too. White Pack’s second in command. That asshole Myungshit or whatever,” Johnny giggled at his mate.

“Myungshin, yeah.”

Their soft banter kept Renjun’s mind preoccupied as they narrowed closer and closer back towards the camp. He knew he had traveled quite far, so he wasn’t surprised as the minutes continued to tick on and on, feeling as their plight may never end.

He was also becoming more and more embarrassed as he continued to succumb to his heat, no matter how hard he had tried to keep it at bay. When Renjun had begun to scent Johnny, Ten flicked him in the center of his forehead making him groan.

“No, that’s my mate, little one. I have a feeling you’d be making a couple of wolves quite jealous if you were to do that. And I’m not talking about Taeyong and me.”

Renjun clenched his fists tightly, digging his fingernails into the palms of his hands to try and distract himself. To try and keep even the smallest semblance of awareness about him.

They continued on and on. Through the treetops, Renjun was able to see the sky and how the sun began its slow moving journey through the light blue palette that complimented it.

Seemingly out of nowhere a wall of herbs and citrus rained down over Renjun’s body making him arch up in Johnny’s hold before shivering and releasing the most slick in one go he had all day. Somewhere in the back of his mind he felt sorry for Johnny, knowing he had just soaked him, but right now his body was far too concerned with getting as close to that scent as he could. He tried to wiggle his way out of Johnny’s hold, which only resulted in the alpha clinging tighter to him.

“Not yet, Renjun, I’m sorry. Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll show up any second now- ah. See?”

Renjun’s head was completely lax as he stared at the world from upside down. But even without being right side up, Renjun would be able to spot those two from a mile away.

The trees had begun to clear marginally and two alphas sprinted towards him. He could hear them flinging questions at both Ten and Johnny, but all Renjun could do was reach his arms out towards Jaemin and Jeno. Jaemin saw the gesture first as Jeno continued to berate the other two with questions.

“Hand him to me,” Jaemin’s deep voice cut through the fog of his heat, making him shiver.

Arms still outstretched, Johnny gently placed him into Jaemin’s hold instead. Renjun quickly curled into him, pressing close to the scent of cloves in the nook of his neck. There was a constant rumbling vibration coming off of Jaemin’s chest that Renjun recognized as a growl; it only amplified in sound as Renjun’s body responded to their closeness by shivering and trying to prepare himself even more.

Renjun tried to shift in his arms in order to present himself for the taking, but Jaemin pulled him closer, forcing the omega to nuzzle into his neck. Figuring that this was fine too, Renjun begin to place the tiniest kisses right where he knew his scent gland should be.

He began to feel dizzy from the pheromones he was surrounded by, and when a burst of rosemary joined the smell of cloves, Renjun groaned deep and loudly. Jeno’s hand raked its way through his hair as he finally realized they were speaking about him.

“You know we can’t, Jaemin.”

“I know. I do, I know. I just worry with how clingy he is to us that it will be really, _really_ bad if we leave him alone through it…”

“Damn. Why didn’t we talk about these kinds of things earlier?”

“Hyuck’s inside the omega cabin, right? Let’s just drop him off with him. We know he’ll take care of him.” There was a low groan of disapproval and a high whine of sadness that Renjun realized was his own.

“Renjun,” Jeno breathed out at the desperate and trembling omega.

“You’re both going to leave me?” They sucked in a sharp gasp of air in unison. Renjun wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted right then and there from them, but he knew he would cry as soon as they put him down.

“We have to, but only through your heat, okay? We’ll talk afterwards about us,” Jeno answered, brushing the sweaty bangs off of Renjun’s forehead.

“Okay, I’m here. Give him to me,” a smell of strawberries came up to Renjun’s nose, and although it smelt nice, it wasn’t what he wanted. Letting out soft cries of ‘no’, Renjun was passed over and led through a door. “Sorry, Junnie. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you’re okay.”

When he was laid down in a giant pile of fur, Renjun was surprised to notice that it smelt of herbs and citrus. Rubbing his face into them, he began scenting the pelts with fervor, as a small giggle came from Donghyuck’s lips. 

Gasping at Jeno and Jaemin’s scent that doused the blankets, Renjun rolled over to nest further into them, while shooting Donghyuck a hazy look.

”What?” Renjun breathed out at his smirking friend. 

“Oh, you are _so_ screwed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aha ha ha, so yeah, that happened  
>  (⊙︿⊙✿)
> 
> (Renjun is a badass) 
> 
> My [Twitter ](https://twitter.com/tenspetal) and [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.qa/tenspetal)


	9. Chapter 9

The one thing for the next four days that Renjun wasn’t was screwed.

Unfortunately.

He also wholly embarrassed himself by basically begging Donghyuck to touch him every single time he brought Renjun food or water, or even just came to check that he was still alive.

One time, the other omega had brought in two more pelts that had come directly from Jaemin and Jeno’s cabins, and that was heaven. He had burrowed underneath them, curled himself into a little ball, and growled whenever Donghyuck had tried to touch the furs, scared he would taint their scent.

Somewhere in the back of Renjun’s mind, he knew that as soon as this heat was over, he would never live it down. He could practically already taste the jabs and jokes at his own expense. Envisioning Donghyuck harping on him for weeks, Renjun tried to reign himself in, to no avail of course.

If anything, trying to stifle his urges simply made him lash out and caused his symptoms to amplify.

All in all, Renjun knew he owed Donghyuck big time, and although it had lasted a day longer than usual, he found that the scent of Jaemin and Jeno eased almost all of the cramps and uncomfortable feelings that normally came with his heats.

Sure, his wants and brazen horniness was the most intense it had ever been, but it was much easier to deal with a raging hard on than crippling pain.

When he emerged from his cave of omega pheromones and lingering alpha scent, Renjun waddled down the hallway to Donghyuck’s room and knocked lightly. The sun hadn’t set yet, but it was on its way there, so he figured dinner must be soon.

Donghyuck emerged moments later, a smirk plastered to his face as he leant against the doorframe with his arms crossed. Nose wrinkling slightly, the other omega chuckled a few times before sighing and shaking his head.

“Is it over?”

“Yeah,” Renjun croaked out, his voice a garbled mess.

“Good. If I had to go any longer with two, sometimes three, alphas breathing down my neck half in _rage_ because I smelt like you and half in _lust_ because I smelt like you, I would have exploded in frustration.” Renjun winced, not having thought about how Donghyuck might attract a bit more attention since his heat scent probably clung to him, mixing with his own strawberry, with how often he had gone inside Renjun’s room.

“Ah. I’m sorry,” Renjun admitted bashfully, before his stomach rumbled reminding him why he was there. “Did I miss dinner?”

“Nope, but you’ll at least want to change your clothes because you reek.” Renjun scowled and tsked.

“Hey, my scent is great. Just because I smell strongly right now doesn’t mean I _reek_ ,” giggling, the other omega dodged Renjun’s attempt at swatting his head in retaliation. “You’re the worst.”

“I’m the best and you know it,” he countered, sticking his tongue out playfully.

“Whatever, I’m going to go change then. Wait for me?”

“Of course.”

Renjun tried everything he could to not focus on the fact that he might see his mother whenever he got to dinner. At least Donghyuck had waited with him until it was only a few minutes until the meal would be over, that way the chances of her already having finished and gone were much higher.

He was also nervous to see two alphas in particular, but more than that, he wondered how the pack as a whole would think of him now.

Sure, they are large in numbers, and Renjun hasn’t even met a third of the members yet, but there’s no way they couldn’t know that he was one of the pups that had been taken by now.

There was still so much unknown of what would happen to him going forward. Renjun was supposed to have gotten answers, and he supposes he did. However, he also got thrown a hell of a lot more questions, too.

Donghyuck pried open the small backdoor entrance that the members who were on cooking duty used to enter. Sneaking around the side of the kitchens, the two omegas popped out of the exit in the corner that led to the main dining hall.

Quickly jumping in the back of the line, Renjun was relieved to find that the majority of the long, stretched out wooden tables were unoccupied. There were clusters of groups scattered here and there, but Renjun couldn’t find anyone who even vaguely resembled his mother.

Letting out a sigh of relief he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding in, Renjun followed Donghyuck and grabbed his portion of what they were serving that night. His friend hurriedly led him over to an unoccupied corner, and they sat facing away from everyone, hiding.

“I feel like we did something wrong with the way we’re acting. Like we kicked a pup or slapped one of the elderly.” Renjun snorted mid bite, inhaling a small piece of the meat that he had just put into his mouth. Donghyuck laughed heartily while also rubbing his coughing friend’s back.

“Hey, Renjun?”

Renjun was still struggling to breathe, face red and eyes watery, when he turned to see a very bashful Yukhei who was looking down at his feet.

“Oh,” Renjun coughed, clearing his throat before he mustered a strained greeting. “Hey, Yukhei.”

“I was just wondering if you were okay? You bolted out of there so quickly the other day, and then when Jaemin came to my cabin and gave me back the pelts I had given to you… I just thought-“

Suddenly, just as soon as Renjun had begun to pout in guilt, Yukhei’s eyes flashed a deep read. His head snapped up as he stared directly into Renjun’s eyes that had now dilated in fear.

Realistically, he knew that Yukhei was no threat to him, and that he would never hurt him (also, he knew that he could kick the alpha’s ass, but that was beside the point). But, there was something uncharacteristically feral about his gaze as he slowly sized up Renjun, dragging his stare across his body.

“Yukhei?”

“Hey! Xuxi! What the hell?” Donghyuck called out, snapping a few times as if trying to break the alpha out of whatever spell he was under.

All he received in return was a low growl as Yukhei stalked forward, breaching the few feet between them to close in on Renjun. He placed his hands on either side of the omega, caging him in which made Renjun turn and press his back up against the tabletop in utter shock.

“Yukhei? What?” Renjun breathed out, his heartbeat rising and his breath coming faster.

The alpha closed his eyes tightly as he shook his head back and forth. Renjun could see the way Yukhei’s hands gripped onto the table beginning to splinter the wood with the force he was applying.

When the alpha blinked back open, his eyes were their normal deep, coffee brown. And even though his arms were shaking, he slowly took a few steps back, chest rising and falling almost faster than Renjun’s own.

“Xuxi?” Donghyuck whispered, trying not to startle him.

“Renjun, I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry. It’s just- you smell- your heat, and you just-“

Blushing brightly, Renjun sunk into himself, raising his arm to smell at his skin. He could tell that the scent still clung to him slightly, but if it was too bad, wouldn’t have Donghyuck mentioned something to him? Renjun had changed his clothes after all.

“What about it, Yukhei?” Renjun asked, swallowing nervously.

“It’s still so- ugh,” Yukhei’s eyes flashed deep red again, making Renjun jump slightly, both of the omegas now releasing the smallest of distressed pheromones into the air. “It’s still really strong! Did you not even bathe?”

The alpha sounded angry, and Renjun couldn’t blame him. It was common courtesy for omegas and alphas alike to make sure they were presentable before going back out after their ruts or heats. Besides triggering someone’s wolf, it also usually seemed to cause headaches among others; especially if they didn’t find your scent appealing. Renjun knew that even some omegas got sick from lingering rut pheromones 

But, obviously, Yukhei’s wolf rather enjoyed his scent.

“No, I-I didn’t. I’m sorry, Yukhei. I just changed my clothes and I thought-“

“It’s my fault. I must have gotten so used to it being so much stronger, I couldn’t tell… and we practically snuck in here so…” Donghyuck trailed off, a genuine pout on his lips and disappointment in his voice.

“Just- can you, please just-“ Yukhei struggled, his hand pressed to his forehead, and when he opened his eyes they were a dark red once more. Renjun hopped up, not even bothering to finish his food or grab his dirty utensils, much more worried about triggering someone else and hurting Yukhei further.

“Yes, I’m so sorry. I’ll go now.”

“It’s okay, it’s just,” Yukhei swallowed, “you just smell really fucking good and my wolf really wants you.” His eyes flashed again, and Renjun’s body shivered, but not in a good way.

He needed to get out of there.

A loud growl ripped its way through the dining hall, and Renjun spotted both Jaemin and Jeno, their eyes on fire, as they marched over to the corner where the commotion was.

Trying to get out of there before he set off two more alphas, Renjun was quickly stopped by Jeno when he tried to navigate his way through the tables.

Jeno gently caressed his cheeks, making Renjun’s eyes go wide and his body lock up in embarrassment. He knew the alpha could smell him, but his eyes were soft and no longer red as he looked all across the omega’s face.

“Are you okay?” Jeno whispered, letting his thumb brush its way across Renjun’s bottom lip. Startled, Renjun quickly jumped back from the alpha’s embrace, his face on fire both from the intimate touch and also from the now shocked and slightly disappointed look Jeno was shooting at him.

Fierce growling echoed out next to them, causing them both to avert their gazes to the scene. Jaemin and Yukhei were in low fighting stances, both of their eyes a bright crimson as they slowly circled each other.

“I swear to god, you guys better not!!” Donghyuck was yelling, pressed into the far corner. Even though he tried to keep his sassy and joking manner, the worry in his voice was extremely present.

Renjun turned to Jeno, expecting him to be the calm rational one who would go and break up what was no doubt going to be a big fight; instead, he found the alpha’s eyes just as bright red as the other two right before he grasped onto Renjun and moved him behind his body quickly.

“Jeno? What the hell? I’m fine, why are you guys freaking out?” Jeno huffed in irritation.

“He was leaking claiming pheromones and we saw him hovering over you.”

_Claiming pheromones?_

“Okay! Let’s not! Hey guys,” Mark had appeared seemingly from nowhere, now standing between Jaemin and Yukhei. Renjun saw Donghyuck’s shoulders visibly deflate into something much calmer.

It took a few moments, but soon Renjun was overcome with a calm, clean scent. It smelt like the sun on a hot day that you spent by a cool, clean river. Renjun felt his muscles begin to lax, and his mind felt much more at peace. 

Jeno’s back slowly straightened out of its lowered and ‘prepared for a fight’ stance. Jaemin and Yukhei shook their heads lightly, and Renjun finally took a moment to look around them and see if they had caused a stir.

Which, of course, they had.

More people were now in the hall than before, and they watched from afar in worry. It seemed like it was mostly omegas and betas that were too worried to interfere with their future alpha. They probably assumed that if he thought this wolf, Yukhei, was to be punished, he had a good reason.

And, if Renjun had been his mate, that would have been a great reason to lash out this way.

But, he wasn’t.

He also wasn’t Jeno’s either.

Those thoughts caused him to step out from behind said alpha, scurrying over to Donghyuck in the corner and grabbing his hand. When Renjun realized that his friends smelt of sour fruit, he began to scent him, rubbing the scent away and replacing it with his own sweet floral one. Donghyuck sighed in gratefulness as they both turned to watch the scene unfold.

Mark was talking calmly to the two of them, and both of the alphas, although still a bit on guard, had calmed down significantly. Renjun noticed the lack of bonfire and clove scents warring with one another in the air which caused him to sigh, enjoying the remission of chaos.

Continuing to look around and observe the members who had gathered, Renjun felt his heart stop as he laid his eyes on a certain person. His body broke out into a cold sweat, and his eyes immediately began to water.

_Shit, shit, shit, shit…_

“Renjun?” Donghyuck asked softly next to him, before following his line of sight.

The woman that Renjun used to call mother was standing not too far away on their right, her eyes trained on him. She was sending Renjun an imploring look, a look of begging, wishing to speak to him.

But, he just was not ready. Not even close.

The gutting and visceral reaction just to seeing her was enough to prove as much.

He couldn’t stop his hands from trembling or his lip from quivering as his eyes remained locked onto her wide, begging ones. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn’t look away even though his tears only became worse by the seconds.

“Hey,” a soft voice whispered into his ear, as a smell that could only be described as lifesaving, washed over him. “Let’s get you out of here, okay?”

Renjun let his eyes flutter close, the wetness that had been building in them silently overflowing. Nodding, he finally shifted his gaze to see both Jaemin and Jeno next to him, directly in his personal space. Donghyuck had moved and was currently clinging to Mark who seemed to be soothing both him and Yukhei.

Jaemin reached out and hooked his hands into Renjun’s armpits, lifting him to stand on his legs. He could feel the stares of the room on him, and Renjun was finding out that he didn’t so much care for the spotlight.

Jeno wrapped a gentle arm around his shoulders and led him quickly to the exit, Jaemin holding the log door open for them both. They set on the path that Renjun quickly realized was towards Jaemin’s cabin as Jeno began to rub a small circle with his thumb into his shoulder blade.

They walked in silence across the open territory, only briefly speaking when Renjun had accidentally tripped slightly and stumbled into Jaemin. The alpha had sent him the most tender smile that almost made Renjun begin to start crying once more.

Damn his post heat emotions.

When they arrived at Jaemin's cabin, the alpha’s gently led him inside before Renjun wiggled out of their grasp and marched himself over to Jaemin’s wooden bench. It was long and piled so high of furs that it ended up feeling extremely soft, unable to feel the hard surface beneath them.

Wrapping his arms around his body, Renjun turned his head to stare at the empty fireplace, thinking of the whirlwind of the past several days. He was just so tired.

Going from never being acknowledged, barely even being a person, to now seeming to be the center of attention every time he so much as blinked was exhausting him. Renjun missed the days of avoiding Jeno and Jaemin where he had snuck out at night into the woods and floated peacefully in the lagoon.

“So, I think we should talk?” Jaemin’s voice was hesitant, and when Renjun looked over to the two alphas that were standing at the end of the bench against the armrest, he grimaced.

“What was that even about?” Renjun implored, his voice small.

“We-“ Jeno searched for the words before groaning and rubbing at his temples. “We should have had a better hold on ourselves. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too,” Jaemin echoed.

“We had just entered the dining hall and saw Yukhei hovering over you, and the closer we got the stronger he smelled and it set our alphas off,” scratching the back of his neck, Jeno at least had the decency to look bashful.

“But why? Why were your alphas so annoyed? Why were _you_ so annoyed?” Renjun thought back to his discoveries when it came to the three of them. “You don’t know me other than I can give Jaemin a run for his money in combat, that I was stolen from this pack when I was just born, and that I smell good to you both. So, why are you so invested?”

“W-Well,” Jaemin started, all semblance of eloquence completely lost.

“That’s kind of what we wanted to talk to you about,” Jeno supplied for him, saving himself from his own bumbling words.

“Oh,” Renjun breathed. His omega satiated and approving that they were finally going to speak to him about everything, but he also felt extremely tense and on edge at the fact of this conversation finally happening.

“Yeah, oh,” Jeno chuckled.

“Renjun?” Jaemin asked, his hands clasped in front of his body.

“Yes?”

“We want to court you.” Renjun felt his ears light aflame even though he had kind of seen this coming.

“But, what about your father? How does he feel about you being with someone who can’t produce an offspring? The next pack alpha?” Jaemin shrugged.

“I don’t really care how he feels. Besides, I have two other siblings, so the bloodline will continue,” the alpha crossed his arms in defiance.

“And you, Jeno?” Renjun turned to him, his breaths stuttering as he tried to remain calm and make sure he asked them everything he wanted to know.

“Well, I haven’t talked to my parents about it, and I’m an only child, but… but they’ve always wanted what I’ve wanted so,” he trailed off and Renjun nodded absentmindedly, his thoughts drifting to how there was no one he needed to worry about getting an opinion from.

Since, he technically had no family now

Or ever had.

“What are you thinking about?” Jeno whispered, trying to break Renjun from his trance gently. The omega sighed and looked back up at the two.

“Can I be honest?” A chorus of yeses echoed from the two alphas. “I’m still pretty wary of alphas, and I’m sad that I’m basically all alone, so I want to make sure I’m not just latching onto you two because I’m lonely. I don’t think I am? But,” he shrugged as Jaemin’s mouth popped open into an ‘o’.

“Well-“ Jeno started before Renjun cut him off.

“I’m attracted to you both, and your scents are insanely appealing to both me and my wolf, so that has to mean something, right?” Jaemin cautiously walked to where Renjun was sitting, kneeling on the wooden floor in front of him.

“I really do think it means something, Renjun. Jeno and I have been hanging around one another, the both of us latching onto our scents and our pheromones and how well they complement one another. And it breaks my heart that you were supposed to be there with us the whole time, too.”

Sniffling, Renjun was unsure of when he had started getting emotional, but he groaned at the new round of tears. When Jaemin had a startled look on his face, Renjun couldn’t hold back a chuckle.

“Sorry, not groaning at you. I’m just tired of being so emotional.” The furs shifted as Jeno sat down next to the omega, moving slowly before he interlaced their hands. When Renjun didn’t pull away, Jeno tightened his grip.

“It’s okay. You’ve been through so much. If you want to cry, then cry. Who cares,” Jeno shrugged making Renjun emit a watery laugh.

“True, true.”

“So, Renjun. How do you feel about letting us court you?” Jaemin asked, looking up at him beneath his long, dark eyelashes.

“Well, you better work for it.”

“Of course!”

“Absolutely!”

They said in unison making the omega giggle.

“I feel like since you already know each other so well, we need to take it slow? I don’t want to feel like a third wheel, and if we jump right into it, I’m afraid…” Jaemin tucked a loose strand of hair behind Renjun’s ear, a soft smile across his face.

“Whatever you want, Injunnie.”

 _Injunnie_.

“Then, okay.” Renjun breathed out, his eyes falling to the ground. The air was tense before excited and happy pheromones started drowning Renjun from all sides.

“Wait, really? You’re accepting our courting?” Jaemin vibrated with excitement, making Renjun roll his eyes.

“I’ll say no if you don’t calm down.”

Jeno smacked Jaemin lightly on the shoulder, making the other alpha pout up at him, rubbing his arm like he had gotten tackled. Eyes disappearing, Jeno began to laugh at the other’s misery. Jaemin jumped up from the ground and suddenly tackled Jeno off of the bench, ripped his and Renjun’s hands apart. They rolled and landed hard onto the ground, both of them getting the wind knocked out from one another. As they tussled like two just presented pups, Renjun couldn’t help but to smile.

“Is it always like this?” Renjun mused.

“Yeah, Jaem is a sore loser and doesn’t like to be put in his place in anything, so-“

“Don’t tell him all of my flaws right away! You gotta start with the good stuff!”

“Sometimes Jaem snores really-“ A hand slapped itself over Jeno’s mouth and Renjun couldn’t help but to let out a huge belly laugh at the two. Things with them were bound to be crazy, but he was sure at the very least he’d never be bored.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm going to be out of town this week, and I'm bringing my laptop, but updates probably won't be as often for a few days! I'm sorry! In the meantime, you can always come hang out with me or talk to me on my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/tenspetal) or [curious cat~](https://curiouscat.qa/tenspetal)


	10. Chapter 10

So, Renjun was being courted now. Which was new.

He ran to Donghyuck right after Jeno and Jaemin had finished arguing and began to berate the other omega with a million questions as to what courting entailed.

Apparently, since Renjun had accepted, the courting was more formal, and instead of just being presented with gifts, they would also go on dates or outings. Or, at least, that’s what was usually done.

Renjun had no idea what to expect, and it was beginning to set him on edge. Why did he have to wait around for an alpha to come to him with some kind of idea? Why couldn’t he simply plan what he wanted to do and invite the other two out with him?

He was voicing these thoughts to Ten during their next one-on-one session.

“Who says you can’t? Make your stance deeper,” Ten instructed as Renjun ducked out of the way of a right hook from Ten. “Good.”

“Well, tradition right? Oof-“ Ten had kicked him in the side, throwing his balance off. Quickly recovering, Renjun spun in place, leg outstretched to whip a kick around at Ten’s head. Which, naturally, he effortlessly avoided.

“Tradition?” Ten scoffed. “Look who you’re trying to—no, swing wider—look who you’re talking to about tradition. I started trying to court Taeyong right after we had both presented. Two omegas courting one another? Yeah that’s not really heard of.”

Ten leaped causing Renjun’s attack to miss yet again, as the older omega landed behind him and put the smaller into a headlock. Renjun shifted his weight, feet spread while his arms came up to hook underneath Ten’s hold. Using Ten’s momentum against him, Renjun flipped the other over his shoulder, throwing him belly up onto the dirt.

Looking down at the older smugly, Ten smirked wickedly before placing his hands on the ground and sweeping his legs out to knock Renjun down. Ten jumped atop him, pinning his legs with his knee and folding Renjun’s arms to lock him into place. He pressed on the younger omega’s joints until he finally submitted.

“Never let your guard down. Don’t get smug or overconfident in battle. It can be your downfall,” Ten stood, dusting his hands off before reaching out and helping Renjun up as well.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay, just don’t let it happen again. Now, start from the beginning.” Renjun bounced on the balls of his feet lightly in place before squaring his shoulders and squinting in concentration. “ _Do not_ let me knock you down this time. You hear me? If I do, you’re running thirty laps.”

“Thirty?” Renjun’s mouth popped open in shock, inhaling a gasp.

“Yes, thirty. Now come at me little omega.”

Renjun knew Ten was right. It was probably even more taboo to have two omegas in a relationship rather than two alphas, so what was holding him back from taking charge? Jeno and Jaemin had taken the first step, so Renjun would take the second.

He spent all day traipsing through the woods, searching for everything he needed for that evening. Hopefully neither of the alphas would be busy because even though he was springing this on them, there wouldn’t be a more perfect night.

Finally, after gathering everything he needed, Renjun went to Donghyuck and begged him to tell him where the two alphas were.

After gathering their whereabouts and getting flicked on the forehead for pestering the other omega, Renjun set out to the pack house.

A large wicker basket was grasped between both of his hands; it was one that he had actually made back in his old pack. They had given it to him after the raid, and he was grateful for it in that moment since it was just big enough to carry everything he needed.

Trotting through the entrance and nodding hellos to a few pack members he recognized here and there, Renjun ran into Chenle who was bounding down the stairs he was about to go up.

“Oh, hey Renjun! Bye Renjun!” The ginger boy called out, giggling in a high-pitch, almost sounding like screeching.

When he turned the corner and was out of Renjun’s sight, Jaemin’s little brother, Jisung, came clambering down the same way Chenle had, only tripping several more times than the other had.

“Chenle, I swear- Oh, hi Renjun. Did you see Chenle?” Renjun simply pointed, blinking silently as the young alpha nodded at him in thankfulness before he skittered off. Chuckling under his breath, Renjun began to ascend the stairs to the second level where Donghyuck had said Jeno and Jaemin were.

Although most of the second story was boarding for lower ranked mated couples, there were also offices where some of the higher-up wolves would gather to speak and discuss things. Which is currently where Renjun was headed.

His basket swung gently in front of his body when he reached the end of the long, wooden hallway where he could smell lemon and rosemary coming from under the door. Renjun couldn’t hold in a soft smile, but at the same time he also wondered where the complimenting smell of clove and basil was.

Knocking quietly, Renjun took a step back and began to chew on the inside of his cheek in anticipation and anxiety.

_What if they said no?_

_What if one of them decided that they didn’t want him anymore?_

_Or what if they were threatened or emasculated by an omega asking them out first?_

Renjun’s wolf growled lowly at his last thought, which he readily agreed to. If the alpha(s) he was going to be with couldn’t handle his strength, stubbornness, and inability to be put into a box, he definitely didn’t need him.

Or them.

So, reaching back out, Renjun knocked even harder this time, resolving, setting his eyebrows in a harsh straight line, almost scowling. Not realizing that this meant he would be glaring daggers at whoever opened the door, Renjun jolted in surprise at seeing the pack alpha carefully pry said door open as he met the alpha’s curious gaze with his harsh one.

Quickly schooling his features into something much more amicable, the pack alpha let out a deep, hearty chuckle.

“Well then, I feel sorry for whomever it was that pissed you off. You looked as if you were ready to tear a hundred wolves’ heads off.”

“I’m so sorry!” Renjun squeaked out, quickly dipping his head in a bow of respect.

A large and strong hand patted his shoulder, causing the omega to glance up slightly. When he found nothing but mirth on the other’s face, he righted himself back up and began to fidget uncomfortably.

“I suppose you’re looking for my son? And possibly Jeno as well, right?”

“Um. Yes?” Renjun’s word came out like a question due to his nerves.

“You not quite sure yet? Good. Give them a run for their money,” he winked at Renjun, making the omega relax marginally and send the pack alpha a genuine smile.

“Oh, I will.”

“I don’t doubt it. Jeno! There’s someone here for you. Call Jaemin over as well, would you?” Jeno came jogging into the doorframe, his face lighting up the moment his eyes fell on Renjun.

“Renjun! What are you doing here?”

“Taking you and Jaemin on a date.” He tried to appear stern, but the slight wobble in his voice was still present.

“Oh wow! He’s on his way over now. What’s in the basket?”

“You’ll see. It’s a surprise.” Jeno’s eyes crescented as a bright smile appeared and took over his features.

“Cool! Can’t wait.”

The two of them began to walk slowly back down the hallway after saying their goodbyes to Alpha Na. Jeno said that Jaemin would meet them at the front entrance, so when they got there after a minute or so, the two stood, waiting.

“I like that you asked us on the date,” Jeno said, his cheeks tinted pink. Renjun’s own face colored to match the alpha’s.

“Ah, yeah. It’s whatever,” he shrugged, trying and failing to appear nonchalant.

A tuft of light brown hair was bobbing in the distance that both of them recognized as Jaemin. He had one hand behind his back, and a large toothy smile on his face.

“Hey Injunnie! Nono!” Renjun’s eyebrows furrowed, a slight look of apprehension crossing his face.

“Nono?”

“Yup! It’s my nickname for Jeno. He calls me Nana, which you can also call me!” The alpha brightly exclaimed. It felt a bit too cheesy for Renjun, but he nodded anyways, not wanting to dampen the alpha’s mood.

“So, follow me then,” Renjun turned, leading the two alphas in the direction of the lagoon.

They both caged him in on either side as the three of them made, unfortunately, awkward small talk. It really showed Renjun that these dates would be important; that even if the attraction was undeniable, he still needed more than just that to establish a relationship.

“Yeah, raining season should be coming up soon, which is always good for the crops. The only downside is that it chases all the game away.”

“Hm,” Renjun nodded at Jaemin. It was interesting hearing when they hunted and how they hunted, since those facts had been kept from Renjun at his previous home.

“Do you think I could join one of the hunting teams?” Jaemin shrugged, looking down at Renjun.

“I don’t see why not. My dad will probably just have to come and check out your skills at the training field first. Or send you on some kind of mock hunt just to make sure you’re up for the task.” Renjun’s fists clenched in excitement as he released a burst of rose into the air.

“Awesome!” The omega was practically skipping at the idea, and when he gazed back at the alphas, they were both looking on in absolute adoration. Faltering, Renjun lowered his head to the ground, not wanting to give away just how affected he was by their stares.

Soon they arrived at the small pool where they bathed in secret. Renjun walked over to the side of the stream that tricked into the forest, and cleared some rocks so that the grass there would be even to sit upon. Opening his basket, Renjun grabbed the large thin pelt that he had stolen from the omega cabin’s living room, and placed it down onto the ground.

After sitting at one edge of the fur and pulling his basket towards him, Renjun patted the space near him, signaling the two alphas over. They happily took their place on either side of him, shooting one another a gentle look, before turning back to Renjun in anticipation.

“So, what’s in the basket?” Jaemin wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, which made Renjun scowl and pout slightly.

“Don’t be weird. I made this today.”

Finally opening the lid, Renjun pulled out cloths that were wrapped around a few different kinds of jams he had made from berries he had found in the woods. There was a blackberry one, and a strawberry and wild berry one. He explained which was which before digging in and fishing out some of the thin, hard crackers that Donghyuck had helped him steal from the kitchen.

Lastly, there was a container of water that he had smashed wedges of lemons in, mixing it with sugar, that he set beside the small snack. When everything was finally laid out to perfection, and he felt like he was showing off his hard work in the best way possible, Renjun looked up to take the alpha’s faces in.

“Tah dah!” He gestured grandly, waiting for praise to come.

When both alphas were silent for a few moments, Renjun began to worry. He hadn’t even asked them if they liked jam and lemonade. What if they were allergic to blackberries, and he was about to kill them? What if-

“Renjun, this is perfect,” Jeno replied, voice soft with awe.

“Really, wow, you made this?” Jaemin held up the small pot of strawberry jam before he took a cracker and scooped some out. Popping it into his mouth, the alpha sighed before turning to Jeno with incredulous eyes. “Try this right now Jeno, holy fuck.”

Renjun sat back timidly, his hands clasped near his chest as he watched the two alphas try both of the jams and the lemonade while they made soft noises of approval.

“Wow, I didn’t know you could cook,” Jeno mused which made Renjun giggle slightly.

“I can’t really. I’m only good with berries because they’re my favorite. Plus, I used to make my mom jams all the time…” Renjun cast his eyes down, realizing what he had just said. “Well, my fake mom? I don’t know.”

The omega sighed, putting his head in his hands as he realized he had just ruined the sweet atmosphere they had going, and turned it into the Sad Sack Renjun Show.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Jeno’s voice was tender.

“Yeah. Do you want to talk about it? You know we’ll always listen,” Jaemin added on, both of their eyes resting on Renjun’s face, waiting for him to respond.

“It’s just hard. I have no clue where to go from here,” Renjun sighed, reaching down to scoop out some jam before he popped it back into his mouth.

“I can’t even imagine. Do you plan to talk to her about it all?” Jaemin followed Renjun’s lead as he began to eat again.

“I do. I want to hear what she has to say. I’m just-“ He looked up at the two alphas whose focus was solely on him. “I’m just not ready yet.”

They both nodded in understanding, as the atmosphere went quiet, only soft crunching and drinking sounds being heard for several minutes. Sitting in one another’s presence, the tension of Renjun’s situation slowly bled out of the air as they simply enjoyed the closeness.

Renjun couldn’t remember the last time he felt so at peace. The slight breeze rustling through his hair and the leaves on the trees while the babbling sound of the steam behind him danced melodically in his ears.

“Renjun?” Jeno softly called.

“Hm?”

“What were your favorite things to do growing up?” Renjun shifted to relax back onto his hands, letting his head hang back to soak up the sun.

“Well, it’s basically all of the things I can do now without any judgment?” He laughed once, softly. “I was treated like an alpha growing up. My ‘father’,” he sneered, “taught me like I was going to present as such, so I learned the basics of everything when it came to fighting and hunting. How to run a pack; why alphas were the greatest. The strongest. The important ones in pack dynamics.” Jaemin scoffed with a look of disbelief on his face.

“I would give up my cabin for a whole month just to see Ten react to that, to your father I mean. I just know Ten would tear him a new one.” They all chuckled, before Renjun sat straight up, reaching his arms out to the side to stretch.

“Speaking of cabins,” the omega continued, letting his arms flop down to his sides. “Jeno, you have a cabin, too. Right?” Jeno nodded, a small tinge of pink across his cheekbones.

“It’s tradition, so yes I built my own cabin, but I don’t really, um, use it much?” Renjun cocked his head in curiosity.

“Why?” Jeno shot a quick look over to Jaemin who was bouncing his leg with a smug look on his face.

“Do you both share a cabin?” Renjun assumed, his eyes narrowing in mock irritation.

“Oh my goddess, Renjun!” Jaemin gasped dramatically, “We are two unmated alpha wolves! Please, we only interact with pure intentions!” He added a wink at the end to really drive home just how sarcastic he was being. After rolling his eyes, Renjun looked over to Jeno whose blush had only spread further.

“But, really… do you?”

“Yeah we do,” Jaemin nodded.

“We’ve kind of always been best friends?” Jeno added, scratching the back of his neck. “We’d always been inseparable ever since we were young, but after we both presented...”

They shot each other a look, and Renjun felt the mood dip into something more secretive. Something full of yearning, full of passion, and Renjun found himself caught between the crossfire.

“After you both presented?” Renjun prompted, shifting his gaze between the two.

“After we both presented, when we got our individual scents, we knew right away that there was something different than just being best friends. Sure, there are a few other wolves that smell good, but Jeno, he,” Jaemin cut himself off, swallowing while his eyes darkened.

Renjun began to shift uncomfortably at the charged look that the two were sharing. Maybe he should feel left out, or as if he was interrupting something, but the moment seemed to include him too. He felt as if he was connected to them in a way that he hadn’t felt before, and it was slightly jarring.

Suddenly, it felt as if his mind that had been a stagnant pond had a singular droplet of rain fall from heights that Renjun had never connected were inside of him. It sent ripples across the surface of the water and all at once, Renjun became aware of a stream that had somehow been locked off, unreachable in his mind before.

When it began to flow, his mind felt a strange tug in the forefront, a small repetitive annoyance that was begging to be let in. Humoring it, Renjun mentally reached out to grab onto it, pulling it into his subconscious.

_Renjun?_

Snapping his head up, Renjun locked eyes with Jaemin whose voice had just echoed loudly in his mind. The alpha had an elated smile painted on his face, happiness surrounding him in an almost visible bubble.

“Wh-what?” He stuttered, confusion too small of a word to describe how he was feeling.

_Wait, can you hear me, too?_

“Jeno?” Renjun whipped his head in the direction of the other alpha, his heart racing.

“Try it, Jun,” Jeno gently encouraged. Sitting back, Renjun took a deep breath and tried to reach out for the feeling he had felt earlier. When he felt a small tug pulling himself forward, he wondered if he was just supposed to think what he wanted to say _._

_Uh, hello?_

_Oh my god, Junnie!_ Jaemin screeched, making Renjun slap his hands over his ears, which, of course, did nothing to help the situation.

 _Renjun, hi!_ Jeno smiled brightly, reaching out to interlace his and Renjun’s pointer fingers before he tilted his head. _This is a blessing, but also a curse, just so you know. Because now whenever Jaemin is in meetings, he has another person he can bother incessantly._

_Hey! Well- I would say he’s wrong, but he actually isn’t. I apologize in advance for flirting with you via mind link._

_Flirting?_

_Are you a dog? Because damn bitch!_

_Oh my goddess._

_I’m so sorry, Renjun._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like it to be known that my friend thought up the 'pickup line' Jaemin used on Renjun, not me. I am not that clever lmao!
> 
> kudos and comments are greatly appreciated!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from my trip!

He got used to living in a safe and happy bubble.

Things were so lovely that Renjun was beginning to feel a bit like he was in a dream. Things were going so incredibly well. Every day he was living his life in a way that he had always wished he had been able to.

Waking up, he would meet Ten at the practice fields for a one-on-one training session, then he would eat with Donghyuck, and depending on if Jeno and Jaemin were busy or not, they would try and make time to continue to get to know one another better.

It was much more convenient that they were able to share a mind link now, and it helped when it came to planning as they no longer had to run around and find one another. Renjun also was able to establish a connection with Donghyuck a handful of days later, which was a blessing and a curse.

Because now every time Donghyuck wanted to complain about Mark, he could do it no matter their place across camp.

It hadn’t taken long for the other omega to open up to his friend about his very obvious crush that Hyuck simply called a ‘frustrating friendship.’

Once, he was in the middle of attacking Yukhei when a shrill and annoyed scream drilled its way into his head.

_RENJUN_

Poised to strike at the large alpha, Renjun jolted, startled and got knocked backwards onto his ass by the full force of Yukhei’s kick. The air whooshed out of his lungs and he felt a bruise already forming on his ass.

“Oh Renjun- you! Why didn’t you even block?” Yukhei worried, coming to stand above the omega, completely flustered. Groaning, Renjun rubbed his sore tailbone before pushing himself up from the ground.

“Renjun, what do you think you’re doing?” Ten accused, disbelief and shock at how easy he had been to take down.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that Hyuck-“

_Renjun? Where the fuck are you!_

Hissing through his teeth, the omega simply pointed to his forehead hoping that the other two wolves would understand what he meant. Ten shook his head and Yukhei simply nodded in understanding.

“You can’t let that deter you. I understand that it’s new to you, the whole mind linking thing, but during battle it’s what we use to relay important information. Or even on something with lower stakes, like a hunt. If the pack alpha speaks to you while you have a wolf on either side trying to tear your throat out, you better be able to multitask.”

Renjun blinked, the realization silencing him. It wasn’t something that had ever crossed his mind, and he knew just how right Ten was. How vital this kind of situation could be.

“Okay. Now get back into your starting positions and have a conversation with Donghyuck while you fight Yukhei.” The alpha timidly took his spot in front of Renjun who breathed out slowly, concentrating.

_What’s up, Hyuck?_

“Go!” Ten yelled, and both omega and alpha lunged at one another.

Renjun ducked and threw himself around Yukhei who had surged directly forward, not bothering to hide the direction in which he was going to attack. They both missed one another, now standing in a similar position as when they started, only flipped.

_I don’t even know where the fuck to start. There’s no way he’s interested in me, like, I can feel the friendzone suffocating me._

Huffing out a laugh, Renjun’s block of Yukhei’s punch came slightly late, knocking him off balance. He was lucky he was able to recover fast, moving backwards to sprint in a circle around the alpha that followed him as well as he could with his eyes.

“Focus!”

_Hyuck, I told you I’d ask Jeno or Jaemin for you how he feels. If you really want to know, you could probably be a bit more forward, and, you know, stop accepting courting gifts from Taeil and Jaehyun._

He socked Yukhei directly in his hardened stomach, and at the same time he could practically hear his friend sigh inside his mind.

_I know, but… But what if he really doesn’t like me? What if I tell them no and then I’m left all alone?_

_You won’t be. I know I don’t know Mark that well-_ Renjun ducked down, falling for the feign Yukhei had pulled as he whipped out his leg aiming for the omega’s ankles. _But, I can tell there’s something there._ Catching on in time, Renjun jumped over the alpha’s extended leg, throwing a left hook right at his jaw the second the omega landed.

Yukhei rocked to the right, the force of gravity weighing him down and putting him out of balance. Kicking his foot up at a 90 degree angle, Renjun brought his heel down harshly against the alpha’s neck, causing him to crumble.

Surging downwards, Renjun pinned Yukhei easily, his head still spinning from the double attack on his upper body. Folding the alpha’s arms, Renjun twisted the left limb uncomfortably behind his back and pulled backwards to place a foot on his throat. An easy position to land a killing blow on his foe.

_I guess…_

_I mean it, Hyuck. I can be there for you if you need, but for the love of all things good on this green Earth, don’t mind link me during practice ever again._

_Oh shit!_

Renjun forced himself to shut his mind off, pushing the connection down sharply and immediately giving himself a headache. It had been Donghyuck who taught him how to sever the connection, and it could be useful but always resulted in a fierce migraine for at least an hour afterwards.

“Great job, Renjun. I think you’ve progressed past sparring with Yukhei now, honestly.”

“Yeah, you’re really something,” the big alpha smiled happily, panting and holding onto his bruised jaw and face.

“Thanks,” Renjun heaved, his lungs working overtime to pump air throughout his body, muscles screaming at him to take a break. This was their fifth practice match in a row, and Renjun had won four out of the five.

To say he was in desperate need of a bath and a fat nap would be an understatement.

Renjun linked up to Jeno and Jaemin as he trotted away from the field happily before wincing at the pressure in his mind from reconnecting himself to the thread of attachment that they shared. It didn’t feel good to open his mind again too soon after, and he knew he would be grumpy with an aching head for the rest of the afternoon.

Jeno was the only one to respond to Renjun’s ‘what’s up’ with a tone that screamed that he was on edge.

Jeno quickly responded that they were in the pack house, but when Renjun tried to speak to Jaemin, even though the omega still felt a strong mental connection to them both, he received no reply from the other alpha.

A curl of worry wound itself tightly in his stomach as he marched to the fast paced beat of his heart. It wasn’t often that Jaemin didn’t respond right away when Renjun reached out. Actually, it was much more likely that Renjun would go out of his way to not respond, avoiding the alpha’s plague of small quips, jokes, or compliments.

He had become so used to the slow and tranquil pace of these past several days, even being able to drown out the guilt that was slowly consuming him when it came to his mother. So now, as his stomach churned, he tried to rationalize the response from them both. Or lack thereof.

Reassuring himself and dampening down the fire of panic brewing inside of him, he knew that Jeno was with Jaemin at the very least. The alpha had said they were both in the pack house, so they must be physically fine. Renjun sped up and headed straight for the two wolves he was courting.

The further into the center of the camp Renjun traveled, the more on edge the other members he passed seemed. He wondered if maybe he had missed something that was announced at dinner recently, or even if Ten had informed him of this day but he had been too busy linking Jaemin and Jeno to fully listen.

A small cluster of wolves were stalking next to the side entrance of the pack house. Large alphas, lithe omegas, and sturdy betas all gathered together with their eyes scoping every which way. Renjun came to a halt in his tracks, observing his surroundings. There was only one wolf that he recognized, which was Jeno’s father, the second in command of the pack, so whatever was going on had to be very important.

A beta came out of the front door, and Renjun was pretty sure he had met him before, but his name slipped out of his grasp. When they locked eyes, the beta smiled sadly, tilting his head and gesturing the omega over.

“Jeno said you’d probably come, which is good, honestly. Considering you’re the only one left here who still has family involved.”

“I’m sorry?” Renjun, completely puzzled, began to wring his hands nervously.

Family? As in his mother?

“Don’t worry, it’ll all be explained inside,” the tall and gentle beta looked as if he wanted to reach out and pat Renjun’s head, but thought better of it before he turned and began to stalk off.

“Wait! What was your name again?” Renjun asked bashfully, receiving an almost heart-shaped smile from the other in return.

“Sicheng. If you want, and I don’t mean to drop this on you, but… if you’re curious about your parents? The one’s from this pack? I knew them when I was small, and I’d love to answer any questions you have.” Renjun’s eyes went wide as his lips parted in surprise.

That had been another thing that Renjun had shoved down to worry about later. Besides just the whole confronting his mom/ not mom, the story of his real parents that had been a part of this pack often plagued his mind.

Renjun knew that neither Jeno nor Jaemin had known them at all, seeing as they were born the same year. But, if this beta, Sicheng, remembered them, maybe he should take the other up on his offer and hear what he had to say.

It was strange to wonder if he should mourn them or not. Never truly knowing them while also realizing that they were who conceived him was messing with Renjun’s mind.

He had more or less decided he would let his curiosities about them fall away naturally; however, it would be a lie to say Renjun wasn’t curious about what the other wolf knew.

Opening the pack house door slowly, Renjun treaded inside, his mind otherwise preoccupied, still clinging to the small conversation he had just had with the beta. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard the rumbling voices of others echoing from the hall in which Alpha Na had called them together for a pack meeting not too long ago.

Letting his feet lead him, Renjun wasn’t sure what he thought he might see when he opened the door as quietly as he could, still not completely lucid of his surroundings.

When the door opened to the spacious room, the wooden stage now propped against the side wall, no longer in use, Renjun couldn’t hold in the jarring noise that escaped from his lips.

Across the room, Renjun first and foremost recognized the backs of Jeno and Jaemin, who were now turned, eyes focused on him instead of facing forwards like they had been when he first opened the door. The back of the pack alpha was rigid, and the room positively reeked of posturing pheromones, almost as if they wanted to battle via scent and not with their fists or wolves.

But, the reason Renjun had gasped was that he spotted a small lineup of men from his old pack settled with their knees pressed to the floor, heads held high with defiance in their eyes.

And, of course, the one that caught his attention the most was his father.

Stepping through the door, Renjun flinched as it closed behind him loudly, interrupting the near screaming match that was sure to happen at any moment. He recognized that it was between Jaemin’s father and who had been his second in command. One of the many alphas who had tortured him verbally for years.

Jeno walked over to Renjun as all eyes swiveled to him. When he looked at the pack alpha, he was relieved to see a small smile instead of anger at the interruption.

“Hello, Renjun. You’re actually just who we were talking about.”

“Me?” He breathlessly asked as he and Jeno made their way back to where they were all standing. The person who Renjun used to think was his father scoffed harshly while rolling his eyes before he spit on the ground as near to the omega as he could possibly get.

“Of course you bring the fucking omega. _Of course_ the fucking omega is here. Pathetic pack that can’t even keep their wolves in place. I’m sure you’d submit to an omega, wouldn’t you?” His no longer father glared up at Jaemin’s dad who simply arched an unimpressed eyebrow.

“If they could best me, I would submit to anyone. I’m not afraid to recognize that there are others more powerful than I am. But, it doesn’t happen often that I meet them.”

A surge of hateful scent from the beta, his father (not father), quickly became suffocating, plunging Renjun back into the headspace of when he was much smaller, much less trained, and much less equipped to handle the pathetic man.

He knew if he wanted to, he could easily kick the beta’s ass into next week. Not only had his skills and technique improved significantly, Renjun was also beginning to gain lean muscle in his abdomen and across his arms and legs, defining the soft edges he had into something smoother, but not bulky.

So, it was a pity that when the beta locked his wicked glare onto Renjun, he immediately took a step back behind Jeno, thankful that he at least was able to keep a whimper from releasing. He was stronger than this, so why-

Jaemin stepped directly into his line of sight, blocking him from his father as he was now only able to see the alpha’s back and broad shoulders. The most feral growl ripped itself from his mouth, and when Jeno brought the omega into his arms to join in with his own voice, Renjun realized his own scent was soiled with fear and trepidation.

“What the _fuck_ did you do to him?” Jaemin accused, stepping up and into the beta’s face who simply barked out a single mocking laugh.

“Pathetic. Even now in this new environment he can’t fight for himself. Has to have an alpha stand up for him.”

Rage shivered through the omega’s body, and when he turned slowly around to face his father again, he made brief eye contact with the pack alpha who had an encouraging glint in his eye.

Taking a deep breath, Renjun placed a hand on Jaemin’s arm, gently coaxing him backwards so that he could stand tall in front of the man who had made his life living hell for the past few years. Chuckling, Renjun shook his head at the fact that the beta had tried to disown him when he wasn’t even his child to begin with.

“I’ve always been able to fight for myself,” Renjun started softly.

“Then why were you the bottom of our totem pole in the pack? Why were you useless and weak? Why are you _still_ weak?” When he felt both Jeno and Jaemin lean forward, Renjun held up his hands to stop them.

“Alpha Na?” Renjun called, not taking his eyes off of the wolf in front of him.

“Yes, Renjun?”

“What is the custom of your pack when it comes to prisoners or traitors such as,” his lips curled in disgust, “ _him?”_

“Usually, depending on the crime, it can be punishable by death. Spending the rest of their life in our cells, or maybe being dropped into no man’s land with the promise of death should they ever return to any pack’s land.” Renjun nodded, weighing his choices, hoping that maybe the pack alpha would allow him some input.

“Pack Alpha?”

“Yes?”

“Is there any custom of a fight?” Heads whipped to face him while eyes widened, wondering just exactly what omega was suggesting.

“For this case we usually wouldn’t. But, I don’t see why we can’t make an exception.”

“Ha! A fight! Do you hear yourself _omega?_ ” The beta spit out the last word. “Do you really think you can take me on?” Leaning down to get close to his ex-father’s face, Renjun smirked, digging within himself to channel his inner Ten and filter his confidence forward into his scent and expressions.

“I can. I will. And, when you lose to the _weak, abomination, pathetic omega_ that you’ve hated all these years, you’ll live your days out in the middle of nowhere, your last contact with anyone being an omega taking you down.”

The beta looked shocked momentarily, quickly trying to school his features into something harsh and grating once more, but Renjun had seen the slip up.

He was worried.

And that gave a Renjun a sick sense of satisfaction.

“If that’s okay, that is, Alpha Na.” Turning to see what the alpha’s response was, he couldn’t help the small smirk that appeared when he noticed that Jaemin’s dad seemed to be proud.

“Absolutely. A little public humiliation seems fitting coupled with the punishment you would like. You can look at this as your audition to be on our hunting and warrior teams,” he shrugged nonchalantly.

Renjun’s heart almost punched its way through his chest at the thought of both getting his revenge on the horrible man while also finally being able to do what he had always craved to do in his old pack. It would be the ending to an old era where he was nothing as it transitioned into a new one where he was more than just something.

“Yes, sir.”

Renjun was grateful that if Jeno or Jaemin disapproved of his decision, they had the decency not to tell him as much. Although he could tell that they were worried, he was also pretty sure they were proud. And, he knew he wouldn’t let them down.

Ten had met Renjun as soon as he heard and embraced him tightly, whispering his praises to the other omega about how much ass he was going to kick.

“And your shitty dad’s ass at that. This is incredible!” Ten cheered him on, making Renjun blush at the praise.

“Thanks,” his cheeks pinkened. “A bit of it was anger in the moment, but I really think I can take him down with what you’ve taught me.”

“I’m not sure exactly how good your father is, but you know him better than me. He’s a beta, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then brute strength shouldn’t be too much of a worry. Is he fast?” Renjun looked smug when he replied.

“Not like me. He’s rather weak when it comes to combat. Jeno said his father went against him and he had barely considered it a fight.” Ten grinned, clapping a hand on the other omega’s shoulder.

“Then you better go out there and embarrass the living hell out of that sad excuse for a beta.”

“You bet I will.”

The fight was set to be later that day since Alpha Na had made a decision regarding the other alpha and beta involved in the scandal. They both had been assigned with life imprisonment for their knowing involvement, but besides Renjun’s father, there was no one left alive who had actively participated in the taking of the pups.

To be alone, humiliated, and enraged would only turn the beta’s wolf rouge, and Renjun knew that that was what his father deserved after all this time. And, he couldn’t wait to be the one to put him there.

Gearing up for the fight, Donghyuck smacked Renjun over the head for acting so rash before hugging him tightly and telling him he’d be there to jump in if anything went awry. They both laughed at his statement before Renjun ensured him that there would be no need for back up.

Jaemin and Jeno hovered around him even more than usual, always making sure he was within touching distance. One of the alphas would have their hand in Renjun’s or an arm slung across his waist, or his shoulder, at all times. He couldn’t really complain at the obvious PDA considering just having them close helped to calm him. Their soft touches were heaven, a lovely reprieve from the stress over the task he was about to do.

Apparently, there was a plot of land just off of the regular tree line on the opposite side of the camp where more cabins were tucked away. Rather large fights, such as the one Renjun was soon to partake in, took place there. It also was home to either punishments, like Renjun’s, or duals for positions of powers.

At any given time anyone could challenge one of the wolves in a high position for their spot, and if they are overtaken then the placement becomes theirs.

Naturally, when your pack is as well balanced and respectful as this one, those types of challenges don’t happen very often. So, when the members of the pack heard of the fighting grounds being used, it caused quite the uproar.

Renjun treaded lightly across the terrain with Jeno and Jaemin on either side of him projecting small reassurances and encouragements into his mind to chase away the anxiousness that had begun to build. Sure, he figured that they would probably amass a small crowd, but when he broke through the trees and spotted the worn down grass surrounded on all sides by pack members with the numbers only growing, Renjun was in shock.

He wasn’t even a member of the pack, and yet he had garnered such attention?

“You’ve got this,” a tall, lanky man cheered quietly as the three passed him. Renjun inclined his head in a brief thank you as someone else spoke up from his other side.

“Show him that they can’t mess with us, okay?” It was a woman who could have only been a few years older than Renjun who cheered that time, and what she said got Renjun thinking.

_Mess with us?_

Since when had Renjun been considered an ‘us’?

Thinking back to some of his first days in the new pack, he recalled Jeno mentioning something about a ceremony that would take place to officially join them, and Renjun had been meaning to bring it up once more. He was more than sure that this is the place he wanted to be, even if it didn’t work out with the two alphas. But, he wasn’t an official piece of their pack dynamic yet. He wasn’t a part of their well-oiled system.

Then again, Renjun supposes maybe they already viewed him like he was one.

If he had been stolen away from this pack, where they searched and mourned over him and one other for years, then perhaps this held even more significance than Renjun allowed himself to realize.

For him, it was a way to move on from the past. To forget being called weak and to show the man who had raised him to hate what he was that he had been wrong and full of prejudice.

However, for this pack it must symbolize something much more.

Seeing one of their own, specifically the same pup that had been taken, go toe-to-toe with the man who had committed larceny against them all. To see the pup all grown up and defending his own honor, and of course that of the pack, against the other…

Any and all pressure lifted itself from Renjun’s shoulders when the further he walked more uplifting energy was sent his way. Everyone surrounding the omega was rooting for him, and not a single person watching doubted his strengths as a wolf or as a member of this pack.

It didn’t matter if he was an omega or not to them. All that mattered was that he showed that son of a bitch that no one could mess with them and get away with it.

Standing as both of Renjun’s alphas gave him one last tight squeeze of their hands, his eyes locked on the man who was responsible for this as he was dragged by the scruff towards the circle. The beta’s hands were still bound, and his face seemed like it was a second way from imploding in on itself due to anger.

When their gazes met, they both froze.

The beta’s restraints were popped off and the pack alpha stepped up from the side. Renjun could feel his eyes boring into him, but he was locked in a stare off with the other wolf.

“Wolves only. When I say shift, you may start.” Alpha Na boomed over the field, creating a hush through the crowd.

Renjun could see the other huff out an angry irritated breath, his hands clenching and unclenching as he shifted back and forth on the balls on his feet, obviously on edge. Taking a slow and deep breath, Renjun let his eyes flutter closed, quickly shuffling through the techniques he had been studying and all he had learned. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he thought about how his mother was probably out there about to watch the scene in front of them unfold, but he pushed it back down when it threatened to consume him.

When his eyes flicked open, it was impossible to not see the omega’s steely resolve. It practically radiated off of Renjun in heaps. The beta shuddered at the omega’s gaze, and the pack alpha opened his mouth.

“On my count! One-“

And then the beta lunged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is such a cliffhanger lol I'm sorry, but not really 
> 
> (●´ω｀●)


	12. Chapter 12

Just after Renjun’s thirteenth birthday he had experienced his first shift. His wolf was small, much smaller than he was now, but that was normal seeing as he hadn’t presented yet. He was covered with extremely soft reddish brown fur, and Renjun immediately took to wanting to learn how to fight right away. His father had been overtly pleased at that fact, so he was often brought to watch the full grown wolves practice combat together.

The pack only trained about once a week, so every time that day approached, Renjun was up early, the tiny auburn pup running about in circles more than ready to watch the warriors of their pack.

He would stand far away from the fighting in the brush, tail wagging while high in the air as he observed his father take down beta after beta. Since his father had told him that alphas were always the strongest, it made sense why he never saw his dad fight one. He was a beta, so he fought other betas.

There were no omegas allowed, but Renjun supposed that didn’t matter because according to his father they were too small and weak to fight anyways. They were there to bear puppies and help out with chores, but Renjun? Renjun would be an alpha. His father had said so.

Therefore, he would be strong. Even stronger than his father.

The beta lunged, shifting midair, revealing a deep rusty brown coat of fur and tearing the already tattered clothing he had been in. Pack Alpha Na had yet to finish his countdown, but the moment Renjun had centered his mind and realized just exactly what this fight would mean, he had been prepared.

The other should have had the element of surprise since he had a head start, but Renjun quickly dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way of the attack before throwing his shirt off in a hurry and shifting where he stood. A ripping sound from his shorts being shredded by his transformation made the beta turn his head in a hurry, not having seen just exactly where Renjun had gone.

As the other wolf pounced forward once more, Renjun quickly noticed that his father was very direct in his attack. It showed his confidence in his own ability and the very obvious lack of intimidation Renjun had on him.

When alphas and betas stopped underestimating Renjun would be the day they might finally stand a chance against him.

This time Renjun stood his ground as the beta barreled towards him. He could tell the wolf was aiming for his neck, trying to get a quick and easy kill, but he would need to try a bit harder than just that to get the better of Renjun.

Digging his hind legs into the ground, Renjun swiveled so that the beta crashed his jaw against the omega’s shoulder making the wolf yelp at the impact. It sent his father reeling back, tripping over his own paws, but he quickly recovered and lunged again at Renjun as the auburn wolf began to run around his side.

Dark brown fur moved out of the corner of his eye, so, halting his momentum, Renjun back peddled shifting his center of gravity, causing the lunging wolf to miss the omega entirely. A roar-like growl ripped itself from the beta as he was growing more and more frustrated by not being able to land a single hit so far.

Renjun knew that the crowd was cheering him on, but all his focus was on the prowling wolf in front of him. They began to slowly stalk one another, circling the trampled grass with their eyes locked together. It was easy to follow the beta’s patterns, so when he tilted even the smallest bit to his left, Renjun was ready for the attack.

The beta bolted forward and Renjun braced himself, counting the seconds until the other would be directly in front of him in his mind. Just at the right moment, mere seconds before they would collide, Renjun jumped, his back leg muscles working overtime to propel him into the air and over the charging wolf.

Landing soundly behind the still barreling beta who was thoroughly confused, Renjun whipped around to latch his canines into his father’s back leg. The omega jerked his head back and forth, clamping down harshly and ripping his way through the muscles there.

Kicking the leg Renjun was tearing into, the beta shook him off and landed a kick to his head right away, making Renjun stumble backwards. Although he could now see that the other wolf was trying not to limp from his own attack, Renjun’s head was slightly dizzy from the force of the blow he had taken.

Shaking his head back and forth to try and clear his mind, the beta snapped his jaws into Renjun’s pelt atop his back. Yelping loudly, Renjun recalled the lesson Ten had taught him on how to get out of this exact hold.

Throwing himself on his back, Renjun slammed the wolf into the ground and he could feel his jaw loosen. The omega could feel his own skin tear as he righted himself once more with the beta still attached, but Renjun simply spun quickly before pummeling the other into the ground once more.

With the second slam, Renjun felt the jaws unclench, his back wound now stinging due to the open air hitting it instead of the harsh slice of teeth. The beta was still on the ground as Renjun raised himself onto his back legs and clawed forward, ripping at the soft underbelly of the other wolf who was still trying to gather his bearings.

Renjun was ruthless in his attack, not worried by the amount of blood that began to ooze from the beta’s stomach as he slashed once more, this time hitting across the other wolf’s face as he began to try and stand in order to move away from the omega.

Padding backwards slightly, Renjun observed and waited for the bleeding wolf’s next move. Renjun could read the desperation in the other’s eyes as they became unfocused and darted around the angry crowd full of faces that desperately wanted to see him fail.

Giving a short leap forward, the edges of the beta’s claws barely scratched Renjun’s shoulder as he undershot how far he thought the omega was away from him. Renjun stood up on his hind legs, bringing his claws down and catching the side of the wolf’s face as he tried to roll away.

It was obvious that the fight was beginning to seep from the beta’s body the longer he went, unable to land a true hit on Renjun. But, Renjun was feeling more powerful than ever.

The beta began to back away slowly, his eyes shifting in fear as he tried to find a way out. A deep growl from the pack alpha sent the beta’s gaze back straight towards Renjun who was now bolting towards him, his jaw open as he latched onto the man that used to be his father.

Sharp top canines sunk through the grizzled fur in the beta’s shoulder while his bottom row of teeth latched onto his chest. Renjun’s mouth was stretched wide as he clenched his jaw together, tasting the foul blood of the traitor on his tongue. He heard a sharp howl of agony before the wolf fell beneath him.

Renjun, not releasing his hold, maneuvered to stand over the completely lax and broken down wolf. There were injuries littering his body and when Renjun shifted his mouth upwards, taking the fragile skin of the beta’s neck between his teeth, able to feel the rush of blood from his arteries in his mouth, he submitted.

He had submitted to an omega.

Renjun stood there, hovering over his weak and pathetic excuse for a father, pride aired through his chest at the sight before him. 

He had finally showed him just how strong omegas could be.

As members of the pack came out to haul up what was left of the beta, Renjun backed up from the scene. His heart was pumping and besides the few stings from some mild scratches and one bite, he felt nothing but euphoria.

A small body collided with him from the side, a pelt in hand. When Renjun turned he saw Ten smiling widely and holding out the fur so that he could shift back, but keep his decency since they were in front of so many.

As he changed, Ten wrapped him in a large hug, squeezing tightly.

“I wasn’t worried for even a second. You were amazing. Truly.”

Renjun felt tears prick behind his eyes at the sincerity in Ten’s voice. The way he praised him felt like what a father should be; he felt like he was finally being taken care of the way he had always craved from the man who had claimed to be his father.

Standing back up from the hug, Renjun giggled while Ten continued to smile and wipe away the small tears that had begun to trickle down Renjun’s face. The commotion of moving the beta rumbled from behind him as Renjun saw two of his favorite alphas begin to rush over towards him.

Making eye contact with Jeno, both of them smiled as true happiness echoed between them. But, when he turned slightly to look at Jaemin, he noticed the alpha almost frozen in his tracks with his eyes locked on the scene behind him.

Turning to try and see what was happening, Renjun heard a roar so loud he felt the vibrations within his chest. As soon as he was able to get his eyes on the sight behind him, Renjun saw the beta had escaped the clutches of the two wolves that had been taming him.

Long, razor-sharp claws were extended, his mouth fully open as he charged right at Renjun. His intentions were clear and his target even clearer. The distance between them was small, but somehow everything seemed to happen in an out-of-body state.

Renjun knew that he was mere seconds away from having his back ripped and torn to shreds and probably his neck snapped, so why then was he suddenly turning? He didn’t remember telling his brain to move; in fact, he was so caught off guard he was sure he had frozen completely.

The scene began to shift as Renjun continued to be moved out of the way, turning in place as Ten slowly replaced where he had just been. Of course, it was anything but slow, but as his mind caught up to just exactly what was happening, he was being shoved away from Ten and falling backwards now facing his ex-father who Ten had his back to.

Ten’s eyes were locked onto Renjun as he saw the betas' claws sink deep into Ten’s back, dragging their way down through his skin while he aimed to get his throat between his jaws. Ten had brought his arms up in time so that the beta clamped down on his limbs, jaw crunching through the thin human skin that was unable to withstand the bite of a wolf.

Renjun saw more than heard Ten scream as he fell to the ground with the beta atop him who continued to claw his way through the omega. One of the biggest wolves Renjun had ever seen tackled the beta off of Ten as Taeyong, sobbing, sprinted over to where Ten lay motionless.

The wolf, obviously an alpha, who was on top of the beta pinned him in seconds before reaching down and ripping his throat out. The other was dead within moments as the large wolf leapt and changed midair to reveal Johnny. Rushing to where Ten was bleeding in a crumpled mess, Johnny quickly picked the omega up, Taeyong following closely behind as they ran off.

Kun was already following them and yelling to a few other people as they traversed back through the camp towards where Renjun assumed was the healing center.

Unaware that he was shaking, strong arms circled him from behind, closing the furs over his body before he was gently picked up. Jaemin leaned down to nuzzle into his neck, scenting him as Jeno tried to soothe him as well.

“T-T..T-“ Renjun couldn’t even bring himself to utter the name of the person who had just saved his life.

Tenderly shushing him, Jaemin pressed a soft kiss to Renjun’s forehead. Everything around him still seemed to be in slow motion, and it simply just did not make sense. Nothing was adding up. What was happening?

He had beaten his father. He had submitted. And then?

And then?

What on Earth was going on?

Ten was a fighter, he was the strongest person Renjun knew, so why was he on the ground in that way? Why was there so much blood surrounding him? Why, even now after the field had mostly cleared, was Renjun still able to see the deep crimson pool where Ten had been laying?

It just did not make sense.

“Renjun?” A soft voice, a loving voice, broke through his foggy mind. Unfocused eyes pried themselves away from the puddle of blood and over to Jeno’s face. The alpha was softly holding Renjun’s cheeks, calloused thumbs stroking their way across the planes of his face.

When had Jeno even begun to touch him?

“Are you with us, baby?” Jeno continued to speak, and even though his words would normally calm him, they now simply broke him from his spell. Renjun began to breathe in and out in gulping breaths, not quite able to stabilize himself.

“We-we have to—we need to get to him! Why am I-“ Renjun tried to struggle his way from Jaemin’s harsh grip, but the alpha wouldn’t let him down.

“We’ll visit him. _We will_ , okay? But right now… right now we shouldn’t be a distraction for them. I’m sure we can see him later. We need to let him be with his mates, Renjun.” The omega knew he was being selfish, but he jabbed an elbow into Jaemin’s side, his mind now going into overdrive, trying to make up for the way it had completely slowed and disassociated earlier.

“No! This is my fault!” Renjun let the furs drop as he sprinted, shifting into his auburn wolf and took off as fast as he could to where they had to be keeping Ten.

It didn’t take more than two minutes for him to reach the cabin that had a couple of people coming in and out, while others were running down the hill and some paced back and forth in front of the door.

When Renjun finally reached his destination he could smell the alphas already growing closer behind him, but he didn’t care.

Walking like a zombie, dragging his paws up the hill, Renjun spotted Taeyong leaning against the cabin, hunched over on the ground. Johnny was stock straight and standing near the door, pacing a dent into the grass beneath him.

Renjun shifted somewhere between the bottom of the hill and the top before his knees gave out right next to Taeyong. The other omega looked up at Renjun, eyes rimmed with a bright red and watering fiercely. Pulling him into his shoulder, Taeyong hugged Renjun closely, burying the smaller omega in his arms. As he raked his fingers through Renjun’s hair, Taeyong began to chant softly to him.

“Don’t worry. Don’t worry. He’s strong, he’ll be fine. Right? He’ll be fine. Don’t worry,” his hands found their continuous rhythm stroking through his hair to the beat of his small reassurances.

Renjun wasn’t quite sure if the words Taeyong spoke were for more for himself or not. Either way, when a pelt was tucked securely around Renjun’s shoulders smelling of citrus and herbs, the dam opened, and tears began to plummet down either side of his face.

He and Taeyong held one another tightly, both of their faces buried away as they cried together.

“He’ll be okay. He will. He’ll be okay. He’s so strong.”

“I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *deletes light angst tag and replaces it with regular angst* 
> 
> I swear it gets fluffy again
> 
> feel free to yell at me on twt or curious cat and also kudos are super nice :”)


	13. Chapter 13

It wasn’t his fault.

That’s all he heard for the next several days.

It wasn’t his fault.

Deep down he knew that they were right; that it was actually the horrible man who had been “his father” ‘s fault. But, it was a much harder pill to swallow than just that. Renjun couldn’t quite accept that he wasn’t at least the smallest bit to blame. At least, not until he knew Ten was safe.

As for now, Ten wasn’t safe.

Renjun had been next to Johnny and Taeyong, still wrapped up in the other omegas embrace outside of the healing center when Kun came outside with a grim expression.

When he said that Ten’s heart stopped, it felt as if his world caved in on itself. Renjun could not even begin to fathom what Taeyong and Johnny must have felt in that moment. The omega jolted in Renjun’s arms, bending over and dry heaving onto the ground as Johnny rushed over and took Taeyong into his own embrace.

Everything was hopeless for several minutes. Inside, Sicheng, the beta that Renjun had met earlier that day, was performing CPR in the hopes to get his friend back. Renjun ended up learning several things about Ten that he hadn’t taken the time to ask. He regretted that when he realized that he may never be able to ask him now.

Like how he had two best friends. One was Sicheng, and the other happened to be Kun.

The weight of everything toppled down upon Renjun, making his knees sink into the thick dirt below him. He craved to meld into the ground, to become one with the Earth so that he could stop thinking, stop experiencing, what he had been feeling in that moment.

Half a minute later, an out of breath and frantic Sicheng flung the door to the cabin open so hard that it ricocheted back off the side of the wall and into the beta’s face. As he opened it once more, his eyes peeled open and his pupils quivering, he choked out something similar to ‘he’s back,’ and then Kun bolted inside.

A few hours later, after the sun had long since set, Jaemin and Jeno had finally been able to pry Renjun from the front of the cabin; especially once he had started to shiver violently, as he was only covered by a single pelt.

They walked a despondent Renjun back to the omega cabin where he broke down in tears the second the two threatened to leave him. Wrapping himself tightly into his fur, Renjun tucked his chin down to hide his ashamed gaze. He was being weak, everything his father had said he was, but he needed them. He needed the alphas.

Taking his hand as he rubbed the deep crease between Renjun’s brows, Jaemin kissed his knuckles making the omega look up at him. There was no pity, no shame from being associated with him in his eyes.

It was Jeno who had offered for them to all stay in Jaemin’s cabin together that night. He probably should have thought through the significance of that in the moment, and what exactly the meaning behind it could entail. But, the thought of being separated from their scents, from _them,_ the only things helping him to cling to reality, was a true horror.

So, he nodded without hesitation making the two chuckle in response. They made the trek in the dark back across camp and headed straight inside of Jaemin’s cabin.

Renjun shivered at the thought of what had happened the last time he was here. In fact, the omega was unable to even look to the left at the small dining table, afraid of what his fragile state might make his body do.

He was in emotional distress. He didn’t need his omega ass to start leaking just at the thought of the two alphas, and, unfortunately, that was a very probable outcome.

Jaemin led Renjun down the hallway, past the dining table and the small kitchenette, and to the singular room there. The alpha had the biggest bed he had ever laid his eyes on, and Renjun couldn’t hold back the surprised gasp that dripped with obvious awe.

He could feel Jaemin’s pheromones spike at the approval from the omega which made Jeno scoff good-naturedly. Jaemin shot the other alpha a half-hearted glare that quickly quirked into a grin instead.

The bed was piled high with furs of all kinds, and Renjun saw one in particular that caused his omega to practically beg to steal it for nesting. Even though he was nowhere near his heat.

“Here,” Jaemin softly spoke next to the omega, handing him a shirt and shorts that Renjun could already tell would be too large for him. “Have some of my clothes. Jeno also has a few shirts here, but he’s even bigger than me, so.”

Nodding in thanks, Renjun turned and stared at the two alphas until they got the hint to leave. They ended up skittering out with their tails between their legs and a blush high on their cheeks. The sight made Renjun grin a closed lipped smile; a small thing in comparison to how he would usually laugh at their antics. But, it was a start.

When he was decent, Renjun poked his head back out into the hallway and walked the few steps in order to see them in the living area. They were both staring into the fire that they must have lit while Renjun was in the room. Leaning against one another, their heads touching, Jeno and Jaemin were sat upon the soft wooden bench that was stacked with furs higher than even on his bed. Renjun vaguely wondered if Jaemin had caught and skinned them all himself, or if some of them were gifts from Jeno.

Renjun let his feet carry him across the floor to the other two. Both of their heads turned, separating from one another, to look at him with concern. Sighing, Renjun, who was currently drowning in Jaemin’s clothing, took a seat directly on top of Jeno’s lap before turning himself and lying down across the other alpha as well.

He could feel them both tense slightly, as this was technically the closest besides hugs that the three of them had all been, but Renjun was craving them. Craving their touch. He knew that the two could soothe him, and he wanted to be selfish for the moment and have their attention on him.

Swiveling in place, Renjun turned to face Jaemin’s hardened stomach, wrapping his arms around the alpha’s waist while his butt wiggled to situate itself comfortably in Jeno’s lap. He buried his nose deeply into Jaemin’s shirt and took a long breath, not even bothering to conceal the deep sigh that escaped his lips. At the sound, he could tell both of the alphas then forced their scent to permeate every last corner of the room, filling the air and Renjun with comfort.

Jeno’s hand came up and began to gently stroke its way through Renjun’s hair as the omega continued to nuzzle deeper into Jaemin’s abdomen.

“Are you okay?” Jeno’s sweet and tender voice lilted through the silence, asking the question that opened them up to the subject that everyone was teetering around.

Naturally, they all knew that Renjun wasn’t okay. None of them were. But, it would be unhealthy to not address what had happened. So, Renjun took a deep stuttering breath as his shoulders began to shake. Tightening his hold on Jaemin and curling into an even smaller ball, Renjun simply shook his head no.

He felt himself being pried away from the alpha’s waist making him whine and try and cling to the other. Sitting up in Jeno’s lap now, he turned his pinkened eyes to Jeno who smiled sadly.

“It’s okay to not be okay. He’s strong.”

“That’s what Taeyong said,” Renjun breathed and Jeno nodded in response.

“Yeah. He said it because it’s true.”

Shakily exhaling, Renjun let his head fall forward onto Jeno’s shoulder as Jaemin shifted closer, wrapping himself around the small omega’s body as well as he could at the awkward angle.

“Do you want us to sleep in my bed with you? Or would you rather sleep alone… or m-maybe just one of-of us?”

“Stupid.” Renjun sniffled from the crook of Jeno’s neck where he was hidden. “Just one of you? Never just one of you. Obviously both. Idiots.” The three of them chuckled weakly as they cuddled closer.

They stayed there like that for goddess knows how long, until Renjun was being awakened and lifted into the air. He hadn’t even realized he had fallen asleep, but when the omega was set down amongst the pelts that the two alphas must sleep in together quite often, he couldn’t contain a loud sigh of contentment.

Jeno held him closely from the back while Jaemin intertwined their fingers together and pressed a gentle kiss onto Renjun’s forehead from the other side. Humming in acknowledgement, Renjun simply snuggled deeper into the soft fur and let his omega rumble happily as he was overwhelmed with the two’s scents.

Now, four days later, Ten was stable. He wasn’t yet awake, but his heart was growing stronger and Kun said he had high hopes of a full recovery. The scar tissue on his back was thick and would be for the rest of his life. In fact, they were quite certain that on his wolf, fur would no longer grow where the wound had been.

Apparently, what Ten was currently in was called a coma, according to Kun. It was the first time Renjun had experienced it, but he vaguely recalled someone in his old pack mentioning it once.

Basically, Ten was asleep. His body was alive, but his brain? His thoughts?

_Him?_

Well, it depends on how you look at it.

Renjun, Taeyong and Johnny, and Sicheng had created a bit of a pattern when it came to visiting Ten. Renjun would often go in the early mornings, during the times he used to train with the omega, while Sicheng stayed overnight, and Ten’s two mates spent the majority of the whole day next to his bedside. 

Renjun would often bring Taeyong and Johnny food throughout the day, but the plates were often left uneaten.

One morning, after he had spent all night snuggled up next to Jeno and Jaemin, which had now become a habit, Renjun ran into Sicheng. The beta had fallen asleep, draped across Ten and they both breathed silently in tandem.

He struggled with whether or not he should wake Sicheng up or not because he knew that after spending all night beside Ten, the beta still went and completed his tasks for the day. Deciding to leave them be for a while longer, Renjun took a seat on the cot adjacent to them and turned his back to the two in order to watch the sunrise.

There were a couple of windows in the cabin, and the one on the far wall directly across from Renjun had a perfect view of the rising sun. Orange chased deep blues and purples away in a never ending game of tag.

Soft stirring sounded from behind Renjun, and when the omega turned, he spotted a bleary eyed Sicheng blinking sleepily at him.

“Oh, m’sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” the beta yawned, covering his mouth with one hand before he shuffled to stand.

“Really, it’s fine. You don’t have to worry about it. If you want, I’m sure you could sleep a bit longer before you have to go?” Renjun took in the deep purple bruises underneath Sicheng’s eyes and began to worry when the beta sadly shook his head no.

“I’m the only one who really knows how to work with the well for our crops. I have yet to properly teach someone, and I guess,” he laughed, shaking his head to himself. “I guess I should have by now, but I don’t want to stop doing it.”

Sicheng smiled, his lips tight as he looked up at Renjun whose eyebrows had begun to wrinkle in confusion. He hadn’t heard anything in particular about the pack’s crops. Of course, he figured that they had gardens or something of the sort somewhere, seeing as he hadn’t seen a single stock of corn in the forest, and yet he’s eaten it at least ten times since being here.

“Oh wow, that sounds difficult.” Sicheng shrugged noncommittally.

“There are some specific ins-and-outs that you have to be extra careful with, like the irrigation system, but other than that, I find the work quite calming.” Sicheng’s eyes sparkled as he met Renjun’s gaze. “Your father was the one who taught me, actually.”

Renjun gulped, uncomfortable at the switch in conversation. He hadn’t forgotten about Sicheng’s random offer, but given the circumstances, he hadn’t had much time at all to even consider it.

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” this time sadness rang in Sicheng’s eyes. “I was really young, so I guess he didn’t technically teach me. But, my parents always said I would wake up at the crack of dawn and waddle out to go and watch him carry the water and work the well.”

Shrugging, the beta walked over to Renjun, sitting down on the opposite side of the cot he was currently on.

“My memories of them are hazy at best, so I suppose I might not be able to recall all the nitty gritty details of them to you, but my parents and yours were extremely close. I was told all kinds of stories growing up, and not once have I completely forgotten their faces or their kindness.”

Renjun shifted his eyes down to his hands that rested in his lap. It was interesting, to say the least, to find out more about them, but… but something was tugging at his heart uncomfortably.

“What we’re their statuses?”

“Hm?” Moving around awkwardly, Renjun cleared his throat before specifying.

“I mean, like, were they alpha, beta, omega?”

“Oh!” Sicheng smiled a toothy and happy grin. “Your father was a beta and your mother an omega. From what my parents told me, you seem to be very similar to her.” Renjun’s ears perked up at that.

“Really?”

“Yup. They always said she was the fastest wolf in the whole pack, and she was fierce in combat to boot.” His chest swelled with pride as Renjun thought about the idea he had conjured up of his birth mother.

“So, was she a warrior?”

“Oh yeah. Your dad tended to the crops and fields while your mother fought and hunted for the pack. They were decently well known, I would say.” Sicheng nodded thoughtfully, his sentence trailing off. 

“So then, what happened?” Renjun dared to whisper, raising his eyes to stare at Ten’s slowly rising and falling chest, his eyes clamped shut. He could more so feel than hear Sicheng begin to grind his teeth in anger.

“After they took you, you mean?”

“Yeah,” he breathed out in response.

“They didn’t stop looking. They left as soon as our trackers claimed that they had lost the trace. One morning, the well over flowed and ran down the hill to flood the small tomato plants the pack had just planted. It didn’t take long to find their house empty. And then they just…” he trailed off, eyes shaking.

“They just?” Renjun prompted, his eyes still trained forward.

“They just never came back? No one knows for sure, but they were never seen again. Most assume that they had set out to find you, but were unsuccessful.”

The air tasted sour and somber, a mix of sadness between the two in the air. Renjun thought to his birth parents, his heart grieving at never being able to meet the farmer beta and the warrior omega that had bore him. But, he couldn’t help his mind from slipping to the mother he had here, at the camp.

Renjun hadn’t seen her once in the crowd during the fight, and he had wondered several times just how she had taken it all. Having to see her illegitimate son fight against his false father that had bullied him for years.

“Sicheng?”

“Hm?”

“Can I ask you a question?” Sicheng moved his legs to cross them on top of the cot.

“Sure.”

“You know my situation. You know how I came to be here,” he swallowed, stalling. “But, do you know about my mother—or my not real mother, but the woman who raised me?” Renjun caught Sicheng nodding out of the corner of his eye.

“Yeah. I’d say most people who were familiar with your parents know of the mother figure who followed you here.”

“I spent my whole life thinking of her to be my mother. And she lied to me, yes, but she also defended and loved me to the best of her ability for twenty-two years. What-“ Renjun stopped himself, burying his head into his hands. “What would you do if you were me? _What should I do?_ ”

The omega sniffled at the overwhelming situation. There was far too much going on for him to properly digest it all at once, but he knew that he was being unfair by continuing to ignore his mother. Especially after what had happened a few days ago.

“Honestly?” Renjun nodded at Sicheng. “Honestly, I would talk to her, of course, but I would ask her point blank if she knew about what that man did. About how he stole you away.”

“I know…”

“Do you think she knows?” Renjun groaned, fisting his hair in frustration.

“I don’t know! I want to say no, I _have_ to say no if I want to keep even a smidge of sanity. Honestly, Sicheng? Things have been fucking crazy,” looking up with watering eyes, Renjun was surprised to Sicheng burst into joyful laughter.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh. But, goddess, I can’t even begin to imagine all you’re going through. Even before the incident with Ten, your life here had been a whirlwind, and yet all you wanted to do was train and learn and… Renjun?”

“Yes?”

“I find you admirable.”

“I’m sorry?” Renjun sputtered and squeaked out.

“I truly do. I’ve lived the exact same life for years now, and I love it. I adore the routine, so I find you admirable. Inspiring, even.” Renjun held up his hands and shook them wildly.

“Inspir- no! No way! I’m just… I’m just…”

“You’ve been through a lot, Renjun. I think if you spoke to your mother you may be able to chip away a bit of the uncertainty that rules your life. Start small, with the things you can control. If worse comes to worse, I think you know you have at least two people who would be willing to give their all to see you happy.”

Renjun nodded solemnly, even as something bubbled with happiness inside of him.

“I hope they’re willing to put up with my bullshit for at least a bit longer.” Sicheng snorted at Renjun as if what he had said was absurd. 

“Renjun, you would have to be blind to not notice how deeply in love those two are for you, and if-”

“I’m sorry, love?!” Renjun’s heart began to race, palms sweaty where he had grasped the edge of the cot. 

“Don’t tell me you haven't seen it,” Sicheng, taking in Renjun’s bewildered look gasped in surprise. “You really can’t tell?” 

“I’m just- I’m not used to… love? Romantic love? I don’t know, I’m-” 

“Renjun?” 

“Yes?” 

“Trust me when I say, you have nothing to worry about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hopefully you still enjoyed this chapter! I know not much happened, especially compared to the last one, but it's necessary!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I have been suffering from lack of inspiration, will and brain power, so that's why there's been more days between posts than I would usually have. I'm sorry! Still trying to kick the last bit of writer's block away, but please accept this longer chapter as an apology gift! ◕3◕

Renjun had been running laps, using the course that Ten had often made him sprint when he did something dissatisfactory during their practices.

He had been running, letting his body tire out, hopeful that his mind would follow as well, when he burst through the trees back onto the training fields and saw Alpha Na and Jaemin talking.

Jaemin’s head whipped to the left to see Renjun right away, his father following.

That was when the pack alpha had told Renjun that, permitting he was still interested, the pack would be more than excited to have him on their hunting team. Renjun’s eyes had shined brightly as he was quick to accept, immediately asking everything he needed to know when it came to, well, everything.

So now, while it was early in the morning, dawn not even broken yet, Renjun was half buried inside of a large bush, nose twitching with the scent of deer. If his instincts weren’t lying to him, there was a rather large herd that was just beyond the high rocks directly to his right.

 _I think they’re just right around this bend in the cliff side_. _The herd that I said I smelled earlier, I mean._

Renjun linked Jaemin who was also on the hunt with them. Unfortunately, he hadn’t established a close connection with anyone else, so every time he needed to communicate it was through said alpha. But, for hunting, mind linking wasn’t as dire compared to something like combat.

However, it’s also why he wasn’t a part of the warriors quite yet. In their talk, the pack alpha had stated that he could see Renjun there eventually, just… not right now.

Renjun could wait though. It was something he had been wanting for his whole life, so a few months or years more were really nothing in comparison.

 _Where are you at?_ Jaemin responded.

_Back down across from that small stream we passed about… eight minutes ago? Just south of there. When you see the large jutting rocks, look for a big bush. That’s where I’m at._

_On it._

Now, Renjun would wait. He was unaware if Jaemin would signal to the entire team, but the omega was kind of hoping he would.

It really smelt like the herd was quite large, and the pack hadn’t brought back any meat bigger than a rabbit for a few days now, and with the number of members they have, that was definitely not good.

Roughly ten minutes later, Jaemin rounded a large tree, bringing only three others with him. If they all took down one deer that’d make five deer, which would definitely be good for now. As long as they continued on this streak of finding big meat for a while.

Quickly explaining all that Renjun had sensed and smelled, with the other wolves agreeing right away that that’s what it seemed to be too, they formed a short plan. Renjun, the fastest, would go around the deer as quickly as possible to wrangle them right into the remaining four wolves. They would be posed just around the rocks waiting to attack the unfortunate herd.

As soon as the five of them went over it a few more times, Jaemin having to turn to Renjun and relay everything they were talking about in one another’s minds, the omega set out.

Stealth was on his side as nature was past the peak of spring, so the foliage wasn’t a stark green, but some rusty dead browns as well. The colors of his coat were dispersed throughout the trees and grass as Renjun cozied up to the side of the cliff.

Poking timidly around the edge, Renjun spotted the herd a decent ways away out in the center of a glade, grazing. Their numbers had to be almost twenty, and Renjun licked his snout in anticipation.

The small wolf slunk noiselessly around the edge of the open and sunny patch of grass, the deer none the wiser. In order to direct them towards the other wolves, Renjun would have to be fast. There was no brush or trees for Renjun to hide in when it came to the backside of the herd, so he would have to dart around in time to make sure they circled back instead of rushing into the woods on the east side.

Renjun took a couple of centering breaths, trying to not let the pressure of this being his first hunt get to him. He knew he wouldn’t mess it up; he couldn’t.

So, counting down from five in his head, right as the lead buck turned to gaze in the opposite direction, Renjun leaped out and bounded to the position he needed to be in. As soon as even the smallest ruffle of leaves was heard, the deer began to scatter and prance away, staying mostly confined within their herd shape still.

Growling loudly, Renjun showed his sharp canines when he finally reached exactly where he needed to be. The deer had already begun to sprint off to the woods instead of the cliff’s side, so he had to show them just what would happen should they run this way.

Lashing out, Renjun pounced on top of a decently sized buck near to him. It tried to shake the wolf off, but he had latched directly onto the animal’s neck, easily snapping it and quickly ending its life.

After his attack, the majority of the deer that hadn’t escaped began to race back in the direction Renjun wanted them to.

Whenever the first deer rounded the corner, it was taken down in a flash, startling the rest of the herd that had gone that way. With Renjun on their flank and the four others at the front, the omega found himself face to face with more deer than he could handle.

Thinking back to some of the strategies Ten had suggested in this situation, Renjun’s eyes quickly darted about before he noticed a much slower doe that was heading straight into his path. Lunging at the deer, Renjun’s claws sunk into its flank, tearing its leg beyond recognition. He quickly took the hide of the animal into his mouth and used the weight of it to toss her directly sideways and into yet another deer.

The two went down, the injured deer trying and failing to escape, unintentionally damming its herd mate to the same outcome as well. Renjun used the fact that the healthy deer was being pressed into the ground to his advantage as he snapped the injured deer’s neck, before swooping down and doing the same to the other that had gotten trapped below the doe’s body.

Renjun was able to chase down a couple of the slower deer that had charged into the shallow part of the woods, bringing them down and hauling them back into the glade. As he was stacking his neat pile of five deer, three doe and two stags, his tongue lolled out of his mouth, licking where the blood was beginning to dry in his fur. He was practically radiating with self satisfaction, posturing around his pile of kills.

Renjun knew he was probably no match for how many the others had gotten, but it was his first hunt, and he was more than satisfied. Maybe, Renjun was just lucky that the deer didn’t seem to be too fast, but he would take what he had done with pride either way.

When a deep chocolate brown wolf came from just around the corner, chest and mouth completely bloodied, much more than Renjun’s, his eyes immediately went to the omega before he let his gaze drop on the pile he was protecting.

Jaemin’s wolf blinked slowly three times before he tipped his head back and howled before sprinting over to Renjun and tackling him into the ground. The other wolf was significantly larger than him, and so he was easily taken down, getting smooshed into the dirt and greenery below them.

_Renjun! You did so well! Holy shit! I knew you would be amazing at this baby, I just knew it!_

_Yeah, five isn’t too bad for your first time, right?_

Jaemin finally let Renjun up, but started to lick across his face right away. Sneezing, Renjun turned and whapped the alpha in the head with his tail making the larger wolf bark out a wolfy laugh.

_‘Isn’t too bad’? Renjun! This is quite literally the most deer I’ve ever seen anyone, besides my father, take down at one time._

_Wait, What?_

Leaning down onto his front paws, Jaemin’s wolf stuck his butt straight in the air wiggling it along with his tail happily. His tongue was poked out of the side of his mouth and he began to hop around a bit, crouched down like he was prepared to tackle the smaller. Renjun quickly copied his posture and stalked him before pouncing on the larger.

As they tussled happily, the sound of Jaemin’s bright laughter echoing in his head, a few of the wolves finally broke into the glade. Taking one glance at the pile Renjun had accumulated, they all acknowledged the omega right away.

None of them had been cold to Renjun before, but now, he could feel the other wolves opening up even more. Especially when they all had to help lug his kills back to camp.

_Jeno! Where are you!_

Renjun practically screamed at Jeno as they had just gotten back and were beginning to store their kills; he could almost feel the startle in the alpha’s posture at the sudden intrusion.

_At Jaemin’s, why?_

_See you in five!_

Renjun finished lugging two of his kills into the back sections of the pack house where the entrance to the kitchen was and set off to Jaemin’s cabin right away. He mind-linked said alpha right away letting him know just where he would be since Jaemin had to go over everything with his father before he could leave. It was part of his training to be the future pack alpha or something.

The auburn wolf darted in and out of trees and around unsuspecting pack members until he reached the cabin. After all the hunting he had done earlier, the omega was quite worn out and the little sprint across camp definitely did not help. So, when he shifted and then pushed the door open to fling himself into the living room, specifically across the awaiting alpha’s lap, he was already panting.

“Holy sh-“ Jeno breathed out as Renjun wiggled his way securely into his lap, throwing his arms around the alphas neck and burying his face securely next to where his scent was the strongest. Renjun could feel the heat radiating off of the alpha’s ears, but paid him no mind as he began to giggle.

“Jeno, you’re never gonna believe it. I mean it, seriously. Never- well, maybe? But, no, anyways!” He pulled back from Jeno, taking in the way his face was pinkened prettily. “I killed _five deer_ today. _Five!_ That was way more than anyone else, and even Jaemin was all like ‘oh wow, Renjun’,” the omega lowered his voice to impersonate the other. “’You’re so amazing and talented. You’re so much better at hunting, and fighting, and just all around combat than I am!’”

“Did he actually say that, or…” Jeno trailed off, a hint of a smile playing across his lips.

“Maybe not in so many words, but something pretty close!” Renjun’s smile dominated his face as they sat together closely and simply gazed at each other before breaking out into gentle giggles.

“Alright, so do you want to put on clothes? Or are you sitting completely nude on my lap for a reason?” Jeno teased as he raised his eyebrows.

Too caught up in the excitement, being naked really hadn’t even quite passed through Renjun’s mind. But, when the alpha pointed it out he squeaked and quickly bounced off of the other to grab the nearest pelt on Jaemin’s living room bench.

“Oh my goddess, I am _so sorry,_ Jeno! I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable in any way! I just got so caught up in-“

“Renjun. Slow down,” Jeno interrupted him, a hand raised in the air as he silently shook his head. “I think it’s maybe time we made ourselves a bit more honest? Or at least me because I’m not as good at the cheesy over the top pick up lines and stuff,” the alpha scratched the back of his neck. “But, I am very attracted to you and I do not mind if you sit in my lap naked.”

Now it was Renjun’s turn to blush, the reddish pink lighting him up all across his chest, up his neck, and sitting on the tops of his ears. He opened his mouth a few times only to close it seconds later. Obviously, Renjun was attracted to them too, it’s just… they hadn’t even so much as kissed yet. Although, he has already been sleeping in the alpha’s beds every night…

“O-oh, okay.”

“Okay?” Jeno looked wary and slightly confused at Renjun’s demeanor. “You know if you don’t want to do that or anything like it, we aren’t going to pressure you or make you do anything. Goddess, please tell me you didn’t think-“

“No, no, no!” Renjun blurted out, cutting Jeno off before he could even so much as say what he had been thinking. “I’m just… I just don’t know where to start. Like, I would definitely be interested in doing that stuff, just...”

Jeno nodded in understanding, sighing out deeply before leaning his head backwards onto the top of the bench as Renjun fiddled with the fur across his lap.

“I think maybe we should be communicating better? I know there’s been so, so much going on, but even before that we kind of just hung out every day like good friends with occasional hand holding and flirting.”

As Renjun thought back on all of their dates, he realized that they had slowly become less and less romantic over time. Starting off with Renjun’s homemade picnic by the lagoon was an absolute hit, but as time went on they would only eat lunch and dinner together, or help out Jaemin’s dad, and it had all been… normal.

Which Renjun realizes is good. It’s important to be comfortable enough to do menial tasks together, but they all just felt… friendly. Maybe in taking things so slow with the two out of trepidation of alphas, he had turned them mostly just into friends. Or, Renjun assumes so seeing as he’s never truly been courted before, but when he thinks back to just how many gifts Donghyuck had been given, the omega can’t help but wonder.

“Are we even acting like we’re courting one another?” Jeno nervously chewed on the inside of his mouth while looking at the floor.

“Honestly? My Dad recently asked me if I was ever going to court someone or just keep seeing Jaemin.” Renjun’s mouth popped open in an ‘o,’ “But! If you want to keep things casual, once again totally fine, we can just-“

“I want to do courting stuff though,” Renjun pouted, his mind running a million miles a minute. “I just seriously have no idea how. Besides doing the dates, like what I invited you two on before.”

“Hello? Most beautiful alpha and most stunning omega in the world, are you home?” Jaemin’s voice came booming into the space as he opened his door, a low hanging pair of shorts on him. When the two gave him a questioning look as to why his shorts were practically falling off of himself, he sheepishly laughed. “Yeah, I borrowed some of my dad’s because I didn’t think showing up naked would be the best thing…”

Renjun’s face lit aflame as he realized he had done just that. He brought the pelt up to cover his bare chest as he shot a bashful look at the alpha that had just arrived.

“Well, it probably would have been okay seeing as Renjun did just that,” Jeno giggled, making Renjun groan and bury his face into the pelt.

“Stop it,” Renjun whined petulantly making both of the alphas only want to torture him more.

“What, the little omega can’t take some teasing?” Jaemin grinned mischievously knowing just exactly what those words would do to Renjun.

“Hey! This ‘little omega’ kicked your ass at hunting! I kicked everyone’s asses, actually! So!” He huffed, chest rising and falling with anger. Jaemin simply smiled and walked over to lean his arms on the back of the bench in between the two others.

“I know. It was really hot,” he winked making Renjun sputter, as usual.

The omega should have been used to this by now; it was basically the peak of Jaemin’s flirting. Rile him up only to compliment him and leave him a speechless and embarrassed mess right after.

“I hate you,” Renjun mumbled, turning around and crossing his arms to no longer face the alpha, instead staring at the unlit fireplace.

“No you don’t!” He happily sang as he rounded the furniture and plopped down between the two. “Now, what were you guys talking about? Any plans for the day?”

“Well, actually, speaking of calling Renjun hot.”

Renjun actually choked on the spit in his own mouth, coughing a pathetic amount for what little Jeno had even said. When the omega finally was able to breathe steadily again, both of the alphas staring at him with something somewhere between worry and bemusement, Jeno started speaking again.

“Renjun and I were just talking about, you know, us?” Jaemin nodded, eyes alight.

“What about, exactly?”

“Just how it doesn’t really feel like we’re actually courting him? And also, when he sat on my lap naked, we started to talk about the possibility of what that could lead to and if he was comfortable talking about and or doing those things.” Groaning, the omega slapped his hands over his eyes.

“Yes, obviously, I think you’re both hot, but also I refuse to humiliate myself in front of you two seeing as I don’t know jack shit about any of that. I literally had never even seen someone kiss someone else until I joined this pack.”

“Wait, really?” Jaemin’s voice came out bewildered, his tone reflected on Jeno’s face. Slowly lowering his hands from his eyes, Renjun peeked over the tops of his hands to look at the two alphas.

“Yeah. Really.” Jaemin furrowed his brow in deep concentration, his eyes flitting all over Renjun’s face and body for several moments, making the omega start to squirm uncomfortably.

“I know! How about you just, uh, watch me and Jeno? That way you can see what might interest you, or at least how to do it? So maybe it doesn’t feel so foreign?” The alpha softly suggested as if speaking to a wounded bird. Renjun felt his heart begin to race at the thought alone as he flashed back to the sight of them kissing many nights ago. Which meant if he saw them go all the way, then he was completed screwed.

“Uh, can we just start with, I don’t fucking know… the basics? Are there basics when it comes to sex stuff?” Jeno shrugged, shooting his eyes to Jaemin who seemed to ponder for a moment.

“I mean, foreplay?” Jeno snapped his fingers at the other’s response.

“That’d be good! It’s nothing too much, but also more than just like making out. Which speaking of,” he turned his eyes to Renjun. “Do you want us to kiss you?”

Something in Renjun’s gut churned, a nervousness settling into his bones. Self-consciousness took over his voice and answer.

“No! I mean, yes obviously, but also,” he face palmed, “Maybe we can wait? Like, for when we all do the, uh, stuff,” he gestured vaguely. Looking at the two, he was shocked to see such adoring looks in their eyes.

“Mkay! I’m definitely looking forward to it,” Jeno said, tilting his head to size Renjun up as Jaemin leaned backwards onto his arm.

“Hm, me too, Jeno.”

“Okay!” Renjun said, interrupting the alpha’s hungry gazes. “Back to you two now!”

“Okay, come here Junjun,” Jaemin took the omega’s hand and stood motioning for Jeno to do the same.

Readjusting the blanket around his torso, Renjun couldn’t stop himself from looking between the two alphas. Jeno had placed his hands on either of Jaemin’s shoulders as they stopped so that Jaemin could open up his bedroom door. The alpha leaned down and placed a kiss right in the crook of Jaemin’s neck, making him smile sweetly at the other behind him.

Renjun’s mouth was agape as he became spellbound by the two who were now leading him to sit on the corner of the bed, legs crossed. The way that they were so easily affectionate with one another made his heart flutter.

However, all at once, Renjun was reminded just exactly what they were about to do. Or, well, what Jaemin and Jeno were about to do while Renjun watched… that sounded creepy. Isn’t this weird?

Then again, he supposed that nothing was ‘normal’ about them.

“Alright, so if you ever feel uncomfortable and want us to stop or to just maybe pause for a bit, just say so. Oh, and also if you have any questions about what you see, please ask,” Jaemin winked at the end making Renjun blush when he normally wouldn’t, but he was already on edge. In fact, arousal was starting to pool low in his gut just at his mere thoughts.

“Yeah, okay. Well, there is one thing? I feel... awkward just watching. Like, uncomfortable almost?”

“Hm, is there something you’d rather do?” Jeno asked, eyebrows pulled down as he thought.

“Well, maybe I could just sit up there with you guys? Like, not do anything, but it might make me feel less weird?”

“Sure!” Jaemin piped up, gently maneuvering the omega to lean back against the headboard as he took his seat beside him. “Like this?”

“Uh, yeah. I think so.”

“Well, if it ever changes let us know,” Jeno responded before inching closer to Jaemin a huge smile on his face. Renjun couldn’t help but to smile too, even though his fingers were absentmindedly playing with one another due to anticipation. He simply felt grateful that they both cared so much about his comfort level.

To put it plainly: it was nice.

Jeno sat cross legged next to Jaemin on the opposite side from Renjun as he leaned across the alpha to place a hand next to Jaemin’s leg, almost reaching Renjun. He quickly darted his eyes over to Renjun before looking back at Jaemin and smiling one of his signature eye-crinkling smiles, his teeth on display.

“Hi, I missed you,” he whispered, leaning forward to peck a short and sweet kiss against Jaemin’s lips, who chased after his mouth as he pulled back away.

“Not fair, more kisses please,” Jaemin pouted making Jeno roll his eyes before he leaned back down and kissed the alpha with more vigor this time.

Their lips moved gently against one another while their heads tilted in opposite directions which made the kiss a bit deeper, Renjun noticed. They parted after a few seconds and looked at Renjun who had also begun to turn his head to the side, following what they had been doing.

“Fuck, you are so cute. I just want to eat you up,” Jaemin growled as he looked at the omega who quickly righted himself in mortification at what he had been doing. As he reddened, Renjun averted his eyes from the two and sighed out shakily.

“See, this is why I was nervous because I knew I’d do stupid stuff like that-“

“Hey, hey, hey, no. Stop,” Jeno softly grabbed Renjun’s arm to get his attention. “It’s not stupid. Not at _all_. You wanna know what happened the first time Jaemin and I kissed?”

“You better not tell that stupid ass story, you know I was just-“

“Basically, Jaemin confessed to me under a big apple tree, cute I know. But, I told him that alphas and alphas couldn’t be together,” Jeno winced at his own nativity. “We were eleven at the time.

“So! I said that alphas couldn’t be together, but Jaemin here said we could if we kissed. And then I asked what a kiss was like and Jaemin basically lunged at me face first, completely missing and putting my top lip and nose into his mouth. He stood there for a moment, mortified, before he turned and tried to run away. But, of course, he tripped over one of the tree’s roots and landed face first into a giant pile of mud.”

“I hate you so much. You will never let me live that down, will you?”

“Nope,” he smiled at the other alpha with not a single ounce of regret on his face while Jaemin looked like he wanted to curl up into a ball and die. Renjun snorted loudly at the imagery he had conjured in his head getting a small, playful shove from Jaemin.

“Stop. I hate you, too,” the alpha pouted.

“No you don’t!” Renjun echoed the other’s words from earlier earning a huff.

“But, what I’m trying to say, is that that is most definitely the worst kiss that has ever happened—“

“Hey! Shut up—“

“And look at us now,” Jeno stretched his arms out grandly making Renjun’s chest tingle happily.

“Okay, I’m sorry. Jaem, I’m also never letting this story die either.” Groaning the alpha puffed out a big sigh as he began to slowly slink into the furs beneath them.

Jeno leaned down and began to pepper small kisses across the alpha’s face as an apology, and Renjun felt his heart swell. The sight was absolutely adorable as he tried to kiss the pout away from Jaemin’s face, but his heart also tugged strangely in a sensation he wasn’t quite sure what to call just yet.

Jaemin scooted himself back up to sit propped against the headboard like Renjun was, and gripped the hair at the base of Jeno’s neck harshly in retaliation, pulling and making him open his mouth in a sigh. Tracing his tongue along his open lips, Jaemin dipping inside of Jeno with the wet muscle, making sure to map out every single part of him. Or, at least, that’s what it looked like to Renjun.

Honestly, as he watched the kiss become more and more heated, the laving of tongues and biting of lips, Renjun wasn’t completely sure just how good something like that could feel. Rubbing your tongues together? Like, what?

Yet, his body responded just as readily as he could see Jaemin and Jeno’s were beginning to. Nothing major or intimidating quite yet, just both of the alpha’s bulges looking slightly larger.

Renjun wasn’t sure where to look as he flashed his eyes up to their mouths, to where Jaemin’s hand was curled possessively in Jeno’s hair, and at how Jeno was slowly maneuvering himself to straddle that other.

Inching slightly farther away, his hands coming up to fold themselves in his lap, trying to hide just how turned on he was getting, Renjun let Jeno have more space for him to rest his knee next to Jaemin.

They continued kissing this way for a handful of minutes before Jeno broke away and quickly attached himself to where Jaemin’s scent gland must be if the sounds he was making were any indication. The alpha had begun growling loudly, almost intimidatingly, at Jeno’s ministrations, and the sound went straight into Renjun’s nonexistent pants.

Renjun was beginning to fidget and wiggle uncomfortably under the thick beige colored pelt as he was becoming quite hot, but there was nothing else for him to do. So, he simply adjusted himself slightly to let it fall further down his torso as he watched the others.

“See, Renjun?” The omega’s senses snapped back into him as he looked up to where Jeno was motioning. “Kissing Jaemin here drives him wild,” he smirked before attaching himself back to the already bruising spot on the column of his neck.

Jaemin huffed as he finally released Jeno’s hair to grip his waist instead, turning them over as he now sat atop the alpha. They had rolled a bit away from Renjun, so the omega didn’t hesitate to scoot ever so slightly closer.

“And this, Renjun,” Jaemin breathed out as he quickly rid Jeno of his shirt, exposing his taut muscles before he leaned down and captured his left nipple into his mouth before licking and biting it, making the alpha arch his back and whine. Actually _whine_. “This is what drives Jeno crazy.”

“Fuck, d-don’t tell him that,” Jeno panted as Jaemin kissed his way across the alpha’s sternum to capture his other nipple in the same way.

“Why not,” Jaemin said between sucks and licks, “you don’t want our little Injunnie to sit on top of you, just like this?” Jaemin ground his hips down against Jeno’s crotch as he said that making the alpha moan softly, as if he was trying to stifle it.

“P-please Jaemin, not right now.”

“Oh,” Jaemin leaned down and licked a stripe directly up Jeno’s neck, across his Adam’s apple before kissing his chin delicately. “Why not? Don’t want Renjun to know that you get off to thinking about him.”

“Jaemin!” Jeno’s scent had spiked intensely, making Renjun gasp as it slowly began to swallow the room whole. Both of the alphas' pheromones had been gradually increasing, but when Jeno’s skyrocketed, Jaemin wasn't far after, and Renjun felt like he was going to burst out of his skin.

“You what?” Renjun’s palms gripped the furs tightly, wringing the pelt back and forth nervously.

Did Jaemin mean what Renjun thought he meant? A devilishly handsome smirk was shot Renjun’s way as Jaemin shifted to press kisses down Jeno’s naked chest.

“Yeah. For a while there, Renjun? I would talk about you, we would talk about you when doing this,” Jaemin rolled his hips once more, making Jeno gasp and bring his hands up to grip Jaemin’s waist in order to steady himself.

“Oh wow,” Renjun’s voice was barely above a whisper as his head began to spin at all the images that now raced through his mind. What did they say about him? What did they do while they talked about him? Did they do that every time, or?

“Mhm. You’ve been on our minds since the first time we saw you.”

“What… What exactly would you say?” Renjun asked using up every last ounce of courage he had to ask the awkward question.

“Want me to just show you, baby?” Jaemin asked, batting his eyelashes with fake innocence, but Renjun was already hooked.

“Yes, please.”

“Well, since you said please.”

Jaemin shot his gaze back to Jeno as his right hand began to dance across the expanse of his upper body, teasing as he went along. Running his thumb along the waistband of Jeno’s shorts, Jaemin didn’t waste much time dipping down beneath the material, and from what Renjun could see, had begun to slowly stroke the other one.

If Renjun was having a hard time keeping still before, it was absolutely impossible now. His body was squirming uncomfortably as he tried to hold in his slick, not wanting to ruin Jaemin’s bed, but also feeling embarrassed by just how turned on he was at simply watching the two kiss one another. However, when Jaemin started to speak, Renjun knew that there was no more hope of hiding his arousal.

“Does my hand feel good?” Jaemin whispered against Jeno’s parted lips as he gasped and shallowly thrusted up into where the other had circled his cock and was stroking him sparingly.

“Y-Yeah, but not enough,” Jeno grunted, obviously becoming frustrated at the mere frottage.

“Hmm. Would it be enough if it was our Jun’s hand that was doing this to you? His hand is so much smaller than mine, just imagine how big you’d feel when he held you. He’d probably blush all prettily for us, too.”

“Fuck, Jaem, stop-“

“Why? I know you want it just as badly as I do,” Jaemin’s dark eyes flickered over to Renjun who was mere seconds away from becoming a quivering puddle of a mess. “Maybe even feel his soft tongue timidly making its way up the underside of your cock? Gently tonguing the tip since he’s too shy to take you all the way?”

Jeno groaned, throwing his head back against the bed with one arm slung across his eyes. His other hand gripped Jaemin even tighter, and Renjun spared a small moment to wonder if there would be bruises on the alpha tomorrow.

“And don’t even get me started on how tight I know he is,” Jaemin bent down to Jeno’s ear while maintaining eye contact with Renjun as he began to whisper. “Do you think you’d even fit? We’d have to take it so slow, prep our baby so well, and make sure his little body can handle being split in two on your cock.”

He was pretty sure Jeno had said something, but when Jaemin had said that last part, Renjun couldn’t hold back any longer. Hole clenching and unclenching, slick began to seep out of him and onto the bed as he pushed the fur covering him down against his hardened length in order to get some sort of reprieve from how he seemed to be drowning in the two alphas.

The alpha’s scents had done nothing but steadily climb and fill all of the space in the room, but now with his wetness, Renjun’s soft floral notes began to drift lightly across the already strong pheromones, adding his own softer arousal to theirs.

Renjun wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but it wasn’t both of the alphas whipping their heads to stare at him. And, naturally, with the attention from the two alphas who smelt like heaven and sin altogether, his body responded in kind. Shivering, Renjun became wetter as he brought his legs up and knees together to breathe harshly in and out through his nose.

“Do you want to stop?” Jeno groaned out as Jaemin shifted unintentionally pressing on his length. Renjun shook his head immediately, shooing away the idea as quick as it came.

“No, no! I’m just really- I mean, it’s,” the omega sighed shakily. “It’s a lot, and I think I really like it.”

Jaemin smirked happily at his answer as he sat back onto his ankles still atop the other and removed his hand from Jeno receiving an upset whine in return.

“Do you want to maybe, join us?” When Renjun turned beet red, Jaemin held up his hands. “Only if you want! It’s no big deal, really! I was just curious, and you seemed so-”

“I know,” Renjun exhaled. “But, uh maybe? I mean, you guys know I have no clue what to do, so just don’t expect much? But maybe we could, at least, kiss?” He swallowed his pride and nerves as he looked them both directly in the eyes one by one. “I really would like to kiss you both. If that’s okay,” he tacked on at the end making the alphas grin.

“It’s more than okay with me,” Jaemin replied as he dislodged himself from Jeno’s bubble and burst into Renjun’s instead.

“Same here. Like, seriously Renjun, you smell so, so good.” Preening at the compliment, Renjun released another round of pheromones and slick which both of the alphas could tell right away.

“Come here, baby,” Jaemin purred, grabbing both the fur around Renjun and the omega himself to shuffle him into the center of the bed. When the alpha’s hands brushed gently across the planes of his and he came closer, he asked, “can I kiss you?”

Renjun nodded as fast as he possibly could, and Jaemin let out a chuckle with a large smile across his face. The alpha leaned down and nuzzled their noses together once, making Renjun half scoff half giggle in surprise.

Jaemin came closer and then his lips brushed tentatively against Renjun’s own. He wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but when the alpha began to pull away marginally, only to tilt his head a different direction and come back down to kiss him once more… Well, needless to say, Renjun liked it, which was probably too light of a word to describe how he actually felt.

After a few rousing kisses with the alpha that lingered just long enough to not be a peck, Jeno helped Renjun sit back up and cradled the back of his head. He gave the timid omega a small smile, that made Renjun’s pink lips part in anticipation.

Jeno’s lips were softer than Jaemin’s, but he liked them just the same. Somehow, his kisses were even gentler than the other alpha’s, but he kept their lips pressed together for longer. He let them slowly drag against one another, even held Renjun’s head in place as he darted his tongue out, timidly testing the waters.

At the tease of more, Renjun’s whole body shivered and continued preparing itself, thinking that he was about to have sex. He could feel Jeno’s chest begin to rumble and Renjun heard a similar noise coming from Jaemin next to him. Shaking his head, Jeno let go of Renjun’s face to sit back and brush his hair off of his forehead.

“Sorry it’s just-“

“The alpha in us wants to absolutely ravish you Renjun. Like, holy shit, I want to ruin you,” Jaemin interrupted Jeno, his hands clenching as he eyed the top of Renjun’s lithe torso, the rest still covered by furs.

“Well, I mean, I don’t want to have sex yet.”

“No, of course!” Jaemin hastened to say, making sure to reassure the omega. “But, trust me when I say, there are plenty of other ways I can ravish you, Renjun.” Gulping down his fears of looking like a fool, Renjun glanced over at Jeno seeing the same lust and fire echoed in his expression.

“Okay, then show me.” Jeno’s mouth popped open with an audible sound as Jaemin pinched his arm harshly before wincing and rubbing the spot right away.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” Jeno asked, his voice pitched up an octave in surprise.

“I want… I want you guys to ravish me, or whatever. I don’t know, don't make me say it again, I’ll lose my nerve.”

“I can’t believe I’m not dreaming this,” Jaemin stared on in wonder.

“Well, believe it dammit,” Renjun breathed deeply once before pulling the pelt off of him and tossing it to the side on the ground and completely exposing himself. He was the only one completely naked while between the two alphas and beginning to shiver in expectation.

“Now, will you two do something?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. Cliffhanger. No this isn't the end of the smut, there's an explicit sexual content tag on this fic for a reason.
> 
> ヽ(゜∇゜)ノ


	15. Chapter 15

“Now, will you two do something?” Renjun tried to hold onto his assertive demeanor, but perhaps he chose the wrong words. When he goaded them, both of the alphas' eyes flashed a deep crimson before Jaemin smiled and brushed Renjun’s bangs from his face.

“We absolutely will. In fact, I’m absolutely sure that you have no idea what you just asked of us,” Renjun gulped, clinging to the furs below him, his knuckles turning white. Jaemin slung his leg across Renjun’s much smaller body and leaned down to whisper in his ear. “Tell us to stop if you hate it.”

Nodding, Renjun felt Jaemin press a wet kiss, his lips plush, right on his jaw before peppering them down the column of his neck. When the alpha reached the area where a mating mark might reside, he bit lightly making Renjun jolt.

He felt Jeno grasp his hand once he startled, and brought it up to his lips kissing each knuckle gently as Jaemin began to suck possessive bruises into Renjun’s skin.

Lips traced down Renjun’s sternum, not quite kissing him. Jaemin simply breathed across his bare skin, making the omega bristle with goosebumps. Looking up at Renjun where the omega’s eyes had been locked on Jaemin, the alpha tentatively stuck out his tongue and began to run it across one of the omega’s nipples, going slowly so as to not overwhelm him.

Renjun couldn’t help the small gasp that fell from his parted lips. Naturally, during his heat, he touched himself, but having someone else do these kinds of things was a completely new experience. His chest arched up further into Jaemin’s mouth with every deep breath he took, trying to contain his arousal and not whimper wantonly.

Jaemin maintained eye contact as he worked his way to the other side of Renjun’s chest, leaving small licks and kisses in his wake before he latched onto his other nipple. He couldn’t stop his hips from wiggling lightly, making his arousal bump into Jaemin’s hip by accident.

“S-Sorry,” Renjun exhaled in a whisper before swallowing deeply.

“Don’t be sorry. I like knowing exactly what we do to you.” Sucking in a sharp breath through his teeth, Renjun looked over to Jeno to see him adjust himself in his shorts.

While Jaemin continued kissing father down Renjun’s torso, letting his lips linger in the smooth planes of muscle he had across his abdomen, the omega tugged on Jeno’s hand getting him to come closer.

“Kiss me?” Renjun asked, the pink that had already been splashed across his exposed body now sneaking up and onto his cheeks.

“Of course,” Jeno responded.

The alpha leaned down and captured Renjun’s lips while Jaemin’s own continued working over the omega’s stomach. Both sensations coupled together instantly made his brain foggy and overwhelmed. He felt bad for Jeno, as he could barely kiss him back while Jaemin continued to inch closer and closer to where his length lay, rigid, flushed, and beginning to drip. Jeno took advantage of his gasping in anticipation to simply let his tongue explore every part of Renjun’s mouth, suckling on his lips while he panted before diving right back inside.

When it felt like a slick, tight hole was fucked onto just the head of Renjun’s cock, the omega’s hands flew up to tangle into Jeno’s hair and pulled his face into the crook of his neck in order to hold on. He could feel something soft and deliriously wet circle its way around the tip while lips continued to bob focusing solely on the sensitive head.

At the overwhelming sensations, Renjun brought his knees up and clamped his legs together, effectively jostling Jaemin off of him. Jeno gently pried his way out of Renjun’s rigid embrace to sit back up.

Glancing briefly at the smug look on Jaemin’s face as he stared down at him knowingly, Renjun brought his hands up to his face covering it entirely. The smaller brought his thighs closer to his stomach as he curled slightly into a ball, nervous of what they would say about his reaction.

“Are you okay?” Jeno’s kind voice cut through the barriers of humiliation Renjun had trapped himself in.

“Fine,” he responded, his voice cracking slightly.

“You don’t look fine.” Jaemin sounded entertained which made Renjun drop his hands from his face to glare at the alpha who was smiling prettily. “I know I’m good, but I had barely even started, baby.”

“Shut up,” he grunted out, cheeks flaming. “I just was surprised at what it felt like.”

“Do you need us to hold you down?” Jeno asked genuinely, but the way Renjun’s body responded, he was pretty sure they all knew the answer. His mind blanked at the thought of being manhandled by either of them, and if he thought he was wet before…

The pelts beneath him were completely damp now, bordering on soaked, and he couldn’t help but to lower his arms completely and bare his neck for the two. It was mostly instinct, his omega readily wanting to submit to them, but he also knew that if he really wanted to, he could have stopped himself.

“S _hit_ ,” one of the two cursed, Renjun not being able to tell who it was due to nerves settling into him again.

As he lay there, neck completely exposed, the longer neither of the two other wolves moved, the more self conscious Renjun became.

His thoughts began to wander and spiral to wonder if he had gone too far? If he was being far too forward considering they had literally just kissed for the first time?

His omega responded that maybe it wasn’t enough? Maybe they didn’t trust him to not turn defensive as soon as they tried to scent mark him as theirs. So, in his hazy with lust mind, stomach churning, Renjun slowly raised himself onto his hands before turning.

There was a slight tremble in his arms, the rest of his body taut, when he finally got himself up onto his hands and knees. Eyes trained on the furs below him, Renjun let his upper body slowly fall forward, and his head turned the opposite way from the alphas as he arched his back, completely presenting himself.

It was an extreme show of trust, and even more so, of want.

Renjun wasn’t surprised to hear the two thundering growls that reverberated throughout the room. And, when hands began to caress their way across the small dip in his back, Renjun arched harder, sticking his ass even farther in the air. He could feel the air cooling the slick that was spread across his backside, almost dripping down to his inner thighs. But when he shuddered it was for a completely different reason.

Rough, massive hands grabbed either one of Renjun’s cheeks and spread them immediately, making him choke on an inhale in surprise. Two hands ran through his hair while Renjun’s legs quivered violently as he could feel one of the alphas breathe directly onto his opening.

The hands in his hair pulled gently to direct his eyes up to the alpha of which they belonged to. Jeno was looking at him darkly, mouth parted, as he began to run his thumb across Renjun’s bottom lip, prying his mouth open and sticking the digit inside.

He let the thumb sit on his tongue for a few moments before Renjun hesitantly closed his lips and licked it slightly. Jeno smirked at him, pressing down on the wet muscle inside his mouth and swirling it around to get a feel for him.

As Renjun’s eyes began to flutter while he leaned forward to take more of Jeno’s finger, wondering if it would be the same with a dick, his mouth snapped open with an audible pop. Jaemin had run his tongue directly over where Renjun didn’t know a tongue could go.

Sucking a harsh bruise into the curve of his ass, Jaemin bit him slightly before moving to circle the omega’s rim, pressing against his opening, but not dipping inside. Jaemin kissed him there deeply, before pushing his tongue back against the muscle once more, laving over it generously.

Jeno, with his thumb still in Renjun’s now slightly drooling mouth, pressed down on his tongue, making his mouth open wide. At that moment, Jaemin finally breached inside of Renjun, and just like how he had startled earlier, he did the same thing.

The intrusion was welcome, but Renjun was unable to keep still, his back caving upwards as he scooted forward and Jeno was barely able to pull his thumb away before the omega bit down in surprise. Curling up once again, Renjun groaned and buried his face in his hands.

“I swear I’m not doing this on purpose. I just got surprised.”

“So, you want to continue?” Came Jaemin’s slightly husky voice from behind him, Renjun didn’t dare to look at either alpha as he rolled in self-pity.

“I mean, of course. I just keep-“ Renjun’s sentence broke off on a strangled and alarmed sound.

Jaemin had grasped Renjun’s waist harshly pulling him up and out of his curled up position. Scrambling for purchase, Renjun’s arms swung awkwardly until he could grab onto the furs below him as Jaemin manhandled him back into the position he was in before. When he tried to sit back onto his knees instead of presenting like he had been, Jeno grabbed the nape of his neck just firmly enough for him to get the message as he pushed him back into position.

Renjun’s heart was beating out of his chest and he could feel his cock harden inexplicitly further. The two alphas hadn’t been joking when they asked if he needed to be held down.

He could feel each pinpoint of Jaemin’s fingertips where they dug into the soft skin of his abdomen, his thumbs pressing into his lower back, as his hands extended almost the entire way around his waist.

When his tongue came back into contact with his rim, Renjun couldn’t help but to stiffen as he knew what was coming. He wanted it so badly, and he couldn’t understand why his body was being so responsive and nervous. So, when Jaemin’s tongue began to breach inside of him once more, he jolted in a similar way to how he had earlier, but they were prepared for it this time.

Jeno’s hand tightened in his hair as his free thumb brushed its way up and down his cheekbone while Jaemin’s hands pushed further down in the dip of Renjun’s back making him arch in a steep upwards curve for the alphas taking. His muscles almost ached at the strain of the deep bow of his back, but he was thoroughly distracted.

With each small lick inside of Renjun, Jaemin’s chin became wetter and wetter as the omega couldn’t help his body’s natural reaction. He could feel the alpha’s nose bump him as his face pressed as far forwards as possible while he inched his tongue inside as far as it could go.

At the sensation of something so inexplicably soft running its way in circles just past his rim, curling upwards and downward, exploring him, Renjun couldn’t help the light and gentle staccato moans that were fucked out of him.

Jeno placed his hands on either side of Renjun’s face, lifting him slightly so that they could make eye contact once more. He was pretty sure his eyes were starting to water ever so slightly, especially when Jaemin removed one of his hands to bring it down lightly against his ass cheek.

Letting out a small yelp that bled into a moan as the omega wiggled his hips both trying to escape and push backwards at the same time. His eyes fell down onto the tent in Jeno’s trousers before him, Renjun moved up onto his arms and reached a timid hand outwards to grasp him over the fabric.

“Oh shit,” Jeno hissed as Renjun timidly traced the outline of his length, the alpha’s hand down over his own to halt him. “You don’t have to. This is about you-“

“No, I-“ a sharp gasp broke off his sentence as Jaemin slowly sunk one of his fingers into him after he retracted his tongue. “Oh, fuck, oh. No, I w-want to.”

Jaemin’s fingers were much longer than Renjun’s own, and definitely a bit thicker too. Parts of him that he hadn’t been able to reach before were being explored and Renjun tried to grind his legs together while also arching back into the feeling of the digit beginning to plunge into him.

Grappling at the waistband of Jeno’s long shorts, Renjun struggled to try and take them off of the alpha considering every time Jaemin’s finger hit all the way inside, a deep almost tight feeling reverberated all the way into his gut.

“Off,” Renjun panted at a now slightly chuckling Jeno.

“Okay, okay,” the alpha obliged, before lifting himself to rid the shorts that, according to Renjun, were completely in the way.

When Jeno tossed them to the side of the bed, Jaemin pulled his finger out before thrusting two back in all the way punching a loud ‘ah!’ from the omega. As he began to fuck his fingers in and out at a steady pace, Renjun, on unsteady arms, finally took a moment to look at the other alpha’s nakedness, and-

And-

_Oh wow. That is never going to fit inside of me. Does Jaemin take that? Oh… oh wow._

Renjun’s thoughts began to run wild at the sight of Jeno’s completely hardened length. He had yet to actually see an alpha this way, so maybe this was the normal size, but it was definitely far larger than he had previously imagined. And, fuck if that didn’t make him clench down harshly on the two fingers still stretching him.

Jeno’s cock curved upwards, going so far as to rest right above the alpha’s belly button and below his hardened abs. Renjun’s own length wasn’t even half the size of the alpha’s and instead of making him embarrassed, that only spurred him on further.

Taking the thick arousal into his hand, Renjun was propelled slightly forward at a particularly hard thrust that made him almost scream and tighten around Jaemin’s fingers so much that the alpha began to curse.

Blinking pretty and wet eyes up at Jeno, Renjun opened his mouth as wide as it could go. He wasn’t exactly sure how to take this size of something into his mouth without gagging, so he kind of hoped Jeno would be able to show him what to do.

“Oh, baby. You look so pretty like this,” Jeno whispered, wrapping his hand around where Renjun had gripped him, admiring his open mouth and already fucked out expression.

“Just, show me, please,” Renjun murmured, swallowing his pride before two fingers became three in his ass and then—oh goddess. Renjun had no more pride left to swallow.

Jaemin’s three fingers sat just barely inside of Renjun’s rim, curved downwards as they slowly massaged their way up. He could tell right away just what exactly the alpha was looking for, Renjun was sure that when he found it, he would be an incoherent mess. So, he needed to get Jeno’s cock into his mouth before then.

Trying to move forward, the omega only got pulled back and further impaled on the three fingers as they sunk all the way to their hilt making Renjun whimper at the stretch. It didn’t feel bizarre. However, he could really feel how the muscle didn’t want to give way to make room for the digits, but it really didn’t hurt either.

“Sorry,” Jaemin grunted out and Renjun turned back to Jeno who was being very patient.

The alpha’s hand was still on top of Renjun’s own where it grasped his length, so when the omega tried to pull it directly into his mouth, the other’s hand stopped him.

“Are you sure? I know you’ve never-“

“Jeno, if you don’t shut the fuck up!” Renjun was growing agitated since he knew at any moment he could lose his nerve and reduce once again to a pile of mush beneath their fingers. Reaching around to tap at Jaemin’s hand, he tried to warn the alpha that he was about to move again.

Swallowing, Renjun let his mouth open again, sticking his tongue as far out as possible because he’s pretty sure Donghyuck had mentioned that in passing once, he captured the head of Jeno’s cock into his mouth. He tried to recreate what he had felt Jaemin do earlier. Something with the swirling of his tongue and his lips tight around just the head.

He must have at least been doing something mildly right because Jeno began to let out deep, stifled moans. Renjun felt a tongue trace around where Jaemin’s three fingers were opening him still, and he tried to clear his mind so that he could focus on Jeno instead.

Renjun bobbed right where he was most sensitive, licking around it greedily. And, after a while of doing that, he tried to open his mouth, jaw slightly aching, and begin to take more of him. Jeno’s hands cupped his straining jaw as he maintained eye contact with the alpha. He was moving so incredibly slow, and Renjun had even noticed Jaemin had stopped his ministrations, which he greatly appreciated.

Closing his eyes, Renjun focused on the heavy weight against his tongue, the feeling more strange than what Jaemin had been doing to him. He wasn’t sure just how far he had made it down on Jeno when he had to stop, but it couldn’t have been much.

Looking back up to Jeno, the alpha shifted his position slowly getting onto his knees while Renjun tongued as much of his length that was filling his mouth as he could. Since Jeno was slightly higher now, it was easier for Renjun to control how far down he went. So, he blinked prettily up at Jeno as a thought struck him.

_Will you be gentle, but fuck my mouth how you want? I don’t know what to do._

Renjun sent his message across their link, all three of them, wanting Jaemin to be included. The response was a chorus of growling and groaning between the two. A hand came down against Renjun’s ass once more making him jerk awkwardly, but his tongue was over his teeth so Jeno didn’t get hurt.

“Sorry, just, fuck. Jeno, give him what he wants, honey.”

“Yeah. Okay.”

Adjusting himself once more, Jeno inched slightly forward to dip further into the wetness of Renjun’s mouth. With his grip still on the smaller’s jaw, the alpha began to very shallowly use Renjun’s mouth for his own pleasure. Jeno moved back and forth, the glide slick as Renjun began to drool once again.

“Tuck your lips under a little bit? Yeah, like that,” Jeno grunted as Renjun followed his advice.

The alpha began to pick up his pace marginally when three fingers began to enter Renjun once more. Groaning and his yes falling shut, he heard Jeno curse under his breath while he tried to relish in the feeling of both alphas being on either end of him and using them how they wanted.

The thought made Renjun’s breath stutter as he began to present himself highly again to Jaemin and little whimpers came from his throat as he tried to take more of Jeno. He would move back to fuck himself harder onto Jaemin’s fingers, pulling slightly off of Jeno, only to surge forward to take the alpha’s cock further into his mouth and let Jaemin’s fingers slip out.

He became delirious at the pace, continuously fucking himself on either end with the two alphas whose scents had overrun his mind. In fact, Renjun was pretty sure both of them had stopped moving and were now letting him set the pace.

Suddenly, Jaemin curved his fingers downwards once more, and when Renjun thrusted back, they ran right across his prostate which made him take Jeno’s dick far too deep as he tried to do it once more.

Choking lightly, Renjun was eased off of Jeno even though the alpha had moaned deeply at being shoved into the omega’s throat.

“Easy. Be careful,” the alpha panted out.

Jaemin took it upon himself to find Renjun’s prostate and began to simply massage the area harshly, sending the omega’s sense into overdrive. Squirming in both of the alpha’s holds, Renjun tried to get away from the deep, heavy pleasure that set just inside of him.

As he continued to grind down on his spot, Jaemin swiped a hand through all of the slick that was now making Renjun’s thighs shiny and thrusted his hand into his own shorts to begin jerking himself off. Renjun could tell by the wet slapping sounds coming from behind him.

Jeno gently guided his cock back into Renjun’s lips and began to thrust like he had earlier. The rather large section left of Jeno’s dick that he couldn’t get into his mouth was being stroked by the alpha himself, using the spit from Renjun that coated the top half to make the slide smooth.

Jaemin stopped grinding against Renjun’s prostate as he lifted his arm, fingers still inside, and began to deliver short and harsh thrusts directly into it this time, making the omega start to sniffle. The pleasure was like nothing he had ever experienced before, and his mind was whirling at the fact.

If this was just foreplay, Renjun knew there was no way he would survive anything further.

Swiping his free hand through Renjun’s slick once more, the wet slapping sounds continued with soft huffs of breath from the alpha behind him. Jeno also began to gasp at every thrust inwards, and he figured that that might mean that they were close.

Taking a deep breath, Renjun urged himself forward to meet Jeno’s thrust and let his cock sink the farthest down it had gone. He sputtered at the intrusion, but when Jeno tried to pry him out, he simply held onto the others strong legs and tightened his lips.

 _Fuck me, Jeno_.

A simultaneous groan of weakness came from both of the alphas at Renjun’s words.

“I get your mouth next time, Renjun. As much as I love doing this,” he delivered an especially harsh thrust inside of the omega making him yelp around Jeno’s cock. “I need to see your lips wrapped around me.”

Shivering at the promise of a next time, Jeno gripped the hair on the top of Renjun’s head and began to fuck his face down onto him. Renjun knew that there was no way he could keep this up for very long at all, seeing as he choked basically every time the alpha thrusted inwards, but he was also pretty damn sure Jeno was only a few thrusts away from coming.

And Renjun was right.

The alpha seized up, inhaling a stuttering breath, as he pulled out slightly and came directly inside Renjun's mouth. Eyes popping open, Renjun eyed where Jeno’s knot had formed and he almost passed out at the sight of its size. Yeah, nope. That was not going to happen.

Surprisingly, the taste of the alpha was actually quite good and reminded him vaguely of his scent, but Renjun didn’t have the time to process it as he swallowed before being flipped by Jaemin onto his back.

The alpha harshly folded Renjun’s legs against his chest, baring his stretched hole to him and he groaned at the sight. Renjun was so unused to being so out in the open and spread for anyone to see. At least, when he had been on his hands and knees, he hadn’t been able to see what Jaemin was doing.

But now, when the alpha too shucked his bottoms completely off that had been dangling around his knees, he wiped a hand directly across Renjun’s ass, plunging a finger inside to make him squirm before removing it and stroking himself harshly.

“You look so good like this, fuck. All spread out and ready for our taking. Hm? Think you can take us, Injunnie? Think you’d be able to even get the tip of our dicks into your tight hole?”

Renjun’s cheeks lit aflame as he parted his legs and held them so that he could get a look at Jaemin’s cock, which was just as big as Jeno’s. His head relaxed backwards as his eyes shut and he began panting. Just the idea of one of them inside of his ass sent his thoughts spiraling, let alone taking one after the other? And their knots? What about… both of their knots?

Renjun whimpered at the thought, opening his legs even farther to watch Jaemin jerk himself off at a rapid speed. It was merely moments and a few more suggestive words later that Jaemin was coming directly onto Renjun’s entrance.

Strangely, the alpha’s cum being so close to inside of him, but not, made his omega whine and pout in distress. As if they could sense it, Jaemin wrapped his arms around the omega’s legs, and brought them back down while Jeno kissed his forehead.

“Some other time, baby. Promise we’ll both fill you up. Promise.” Panting at Jaemin giving his word, he relaxed as Jaemin moved down to his length once more.

The alpha didn’t waste any time sinking onto Renjun’s cock as far as he could possibly go. And, even when his hips startled upwards at the intense feeling, Jaemin didn’t gag once.

Jeno had shuffled down the bed next to Jaemin and started to circle Renjun’s rim. When he began to collect Jaemin’s cum and slowly push it inside of Renjun, he knew he was an absolute goner.

The third time Jeno had collected the last bit of cum left while Jaemin sucked him off with an eagerness that startled Renjun, he felt all of his lower muscles go taught. An intense pleasant but searing feeling edged its way up through his groin and Renjun didn’t even get a moment to warn Jaemin until he was spilling directly down the back of the alpha’s throat.

Renjun was gasping as the intensity of what was undoubtedly the best orgasm he had ever had, while Jaemin drew it out for as long as he possibly could by continuing to milk him with his mouth. When he was finally writhing at the overstimulation, Jeno made Jaemin ease away from him.

They all panted almost in unison, and Renjun could hear his blood rush through his ears.

After crawling atop Renjun, Jaemin pressed soft kisses all over his cheeks before he pulled Jeno harshly into their cuddle pile.

It was honestly disgusting, seeing as all the pelts were soaked. Renjun knew that it was because of him, but there was no way he was letting these alphas fall asleep suffocating him into the smell of his own slick. So, after giving the two a couple of minutes to cuddle and scent, Renjun began to poke Jaemin harshly in the cheek.

“Get off,” cringing at his rough voice, Renjun cleared his throat before repeating louder. “Get off. I’m laying in gross.” Jeno chuckled.

“Laying in gross?”

“Yes. I’m laying in a puddle of my slick, so get up. Please.” Renjun tacked on the please at the end for good measure.

Jaemin reluctantly pulled himself away from the warm snuggles he had trapped the other two in, before clinging to Renjun’s naked waist and hoisting him up alongside himself. Renjun screeched at the strange way of being lifted, completely taken by surprise, and when both of the alphas started to laugh at him, he pinched Jaemin’s arm sharply.

“Ow! What was that for!” Jaemin pouted, rubbing his arm after setting the omega down.

“Don’t play stupid. You know why. Now, do you have any clean furs?”

“He has the ones in the living room? We can wash these today and hang them out to dry overnight,” Jeno softly smiled at the two before pulling Renjun in for a strangling hug that made the breath wheeze from his lungs.

“What the hell is wrong with you two,” Renjun rasped out in the tight embrace.

“We just got to be with our omega for the first time. We got to be together _as three_ for the first time! Don’t expect anything less than extreme suffocating cuddles, scenting and squeezes!” Jaemin playfully stated, joining in on the hug from the opposite side now squishing Renjun from every angle.

“I can’t breathe,” Renjun dramatically coughed making Jaemin roll his eyes.

“If you couldn’t breathe, then you wouldn’t be able to talk,” Jeno responded leaning forward to press a quick kiss to Renjun’s forehead. Frowning at how he knew the alpha was right, the omega huffed and let himself sink into the embrace.

“Fine, whatever. Two more minutes.” Kisses began being littered across Renjun’s face and head wherever the two could reach. The only time it stopped was so that Jeno and Jaemin could kiss one another before pulling back and raining more pecks down and across Renjun. “Never mind, I take it back! Stop!”

Giggling, the two alphas nuzzled their way into Renjun’s shoulders, pheromones strong even after just doing what they had. He knew that he was going to smell like the two for days, and he didn’t mind one bit. Even though he was trying to act perturbed, it didn’t take Renjun long to cave in.

Soon, he was snuggling just as greedily into his two alpha’s as they had to him. Holding onto them tightly as a four letter word drifted through his mind for the first time in quite awhile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what did you think? ⊂◉‿◉つ


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friends! I'm back! My writer's block has slowly resolved and some things in my personal life have cleared! Please enjoy this chapter ^^~

They had fallen asleep and were woken to the soft noise of rain pattering against the outside of the cabin. Renjun quickly realized that nothing was separating them, and their naked limbs were clustered together in knots. It was such a clutter that Renjun couldn’t even tell which arm was his for a few moments.

As he tried to pry himself away from the hot tangle of limbs, Renjun woke Jaemin who he accidentally had elbowed slightly. The alpha reached his arms out and tried to envelope Renjun in a hug with his eyes still closed. When he inevitably missed, Jaemin whined half asleep.

“Where’re you goin’?” He mumbled, one of his cheeks squished into the pelts below them. Renjun couldn’t help the soft blush and stir of butterflies in his stomach at the sight.

“We fell asleep for who knows how long, and it’s still the middle of the day. Or, maybe, it’s evening now. I don’t know, but I’m hungry.”

Jeno began to wake up from the noise, and when Jaemin finally cracked an eye open, the other alpha stretched his arms and his legs out in a way that caused the furs to fall away from his bare torso. Renjun quickly became absorbed by the muscles that were settled into the alpha’s abdomen, but Jaemin startled him from his reverie with a low snicker that made Jeno open his eyes.

“Whas happenin’?” Jeno groaned, and turned on his side to prop his head up with his hand in order to look at the other two better.

“Renjun is trying to make us responsible and awake in order to do things. Like eat.” Jaemin’s bottom lip jutted out more and more as he went along, making Renjun roll his eyes deeply.

“You both can sleep if you want, but I’m hungry. And, I haven’t seen Ten today. Since it’s raining, Sicheng will probably need to tend to the water supply, which means that Ten will be alone… and you both know I just-“

“Hey,” Jeno reached his hand out to place it softly atop Renjun’s closest one. “Don’t worry about it. Trust us, we understand. Do you want us to come with?” Shrugging, Renjun flicked his eyes over to Jaemin who was also looking at him.

“I just feel bad. I already got Sicheng to switch with me since I’m in the morning hunt now,” he shrugged and tried not to let a grimace take over his face. It had been such a lovely day; he wouldn’t let his worry cloud it. Everything was fine, he could go, and Ten would be there and be fine.

“Go ahead and go then, baby. Do you want to borrow some of our clothes?” Jaemin cocked his head to the side, questioning.

Renjun quickly looked down and realized he was blatantly displaying himself to both of the others. Scrambling for purchase in the furs, Renjun squeaked in embarrassment and covered himself as fast as he possibly could. He had gotten caught up in their conversation and had completely forgotten about their state of undress. The soft chuckle that both alphas let out made Renjun frown.

“Jun, you literally just had my tongue in your ass and Jeno’s dick down your throat. Don’t look so caught off guard. Besides, you look good naked,” he added with a wink making the smallest scoff and cling to the pelts tighter, a blush coloring his cheeks.

“So! That was then and this is now. And now I don’t want to be naked, so clothes please. Yes.” Jaemin smiled brightly at him as Jeno hopped up and Renjun purposely avoided staring at his hardened back or perky ass.

After rifling through the small wooden shelves that were in the corner, Jeno tossed Renjun a large shirt that smelt strongly of Jeno that he quickly slipped on. When he wiggled his way out of the bed making sure not to flash either of them, Renjun realized it almost went down to his knees. Staring at the shirt/ gown, Renjun looked up to see a sheepish Jeno.

“Yeah, that one’s big on me too.”

“Then why?” Jeno shrugged before grinning with a purpose.

“I thought you’d look cute.” Renjun’s body heated as he became even more flushed over the sound of Jaemin’s soft agreements and encouragements.

“Whatever,” he mumbled out to the alphas, shuffling over to the shelves to grab the first decently sized pair of shorts he found and slipping them on

“You’re just going to go out in the rain?” Renjun looked up at the sound of Jaemin’s voice, noting the cautiously upset look on his face.

“I mean, I’ll be quick? But, yeah, I have to in order to get anywhere.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to wait here with us until it dies out?” Right then Renjun’s stomach gave a low rumble of hunger making Jeno laugh from behind the omega.

“He’ll be okay Jaem, don’t worry,” strong arms circled Renjun’s waist from behind making the omega release a small sound of surprise as he was pulled back into the naked embrace of Jeno. “Besides, the nights aren’t so cold anymore. Renjun will be careful, right?” Turning to look at the alpha, Renjun was startled as he realized their closeness.

“Y-Yeah. Don’t worry, Jaemin. I’ll be quick and dry off by the fire as soon as I can,” he spoke, his voice small as he looked back to the other alpha still in bed, frustrated at himself. He had just been sleeping naked in a bed with the two after doing… what they had done… and yet, he was still caught off guard by them. Still startled by their closeness and affections.

“Okay, as long as you promise! Are you going to get some food first, or to Ten’s?”

“Since the healing center is closer, I’ll go by there first and get food later.”

“Okay,” Jeno nuzzled into Renjun’s neck, scenting him even though he already reeked of the other two. “Let us know when you go to get food, and we can go together!”

The alpha hummed happily, squeezing Renjun even closer. It seemed as though Jeno had no intentions of letting go anytime soon either, since when he went to leave, the alpha growled possessively and brought him closer to scent him once more.

“Jeno, I already smell so strongly of you and Jaemin I can’t even find my own scent on me anymore,” he teased, trying to get the alpha to loosen his grip.

“Good.” Jeno huffed.

“Let the poor boy go, Jeno. You can cuddle me instead,” Jaemin opened his arms wide and wiggled his fingers trying to entice the other alpha who finally reluctantly let go of the omega.

“Sorry, Renjun,” he blushed once he had finally gotten back into the bed and latched on Jaemin. “My wolf is feeling extra clingy. It’s probably because of earlier, and yeah,” Renjun pursed his lips and nodded noncommittally while trying to not let the blush take him over once more.

“Okay. I’ll link you guys when I eat.”

“Okie dokie, be safe, Injunnie!”

Renjun sprinted through the rain that, thankfully, wasn’t coming down too harshly. As he scaled the stout hill to the healing center, Renjun had to focus in order to not slip in the mud that was thick on the ground.

Flinging the door open, Renjun was met with Sicheng standing just inside, obviously on his way out. A large heart-shaped smile found his face when he spotted the omega and moved so that he could go inside.

“Hey, Renjun. I was just leaving, but Johnny’s here, so,” the beta gestured with his thumb to the other side where the alpha was perched on a cot next to Ten’s.

“Oh, okay! If you need help with the water this week since it seems like it’s going to rain a lot, let me know. Anytime after morning hunts, I’m free,” he sent Sicheng a small smile who looked surprised.

“You don’t have to do that!”

“Really, it’s no problem! I think it might be kind of cool to learn anyways, you know, since,” he gestured vaguely, hoping that the beta would understand that he was referencing his real parents and his interest in what his dad had done before Renjun was born.

“Of course! I live in the cabin that’s to the right before you get to the children’s center. You can tell it’s ours because we have dried flowers stuck into the door,” he sent the omega one last smile before turning to wave goodbye to Johnny and left.

“Hey, Renjun. How are you?” Johnny asked good-naturedly as Renjun went to sit on the wooden floor next to Ten’s sleeping body.

“I’m okay. Well, that’s not true,” he peeked his head up at the alpha who arched an eyebrow. “I’m really, really good. Guess how many deer I caught this morning?” Staring down at Ten, he wished he could tell him instead.

“How many?”

“Five,” Renjun whispered happily, the smallest of grins on his face as he continued to stare at Ten.

“You know, he would be so proud of you,” Renjun tore his eyes away to look up at Johnny who had also been focused on Ten. “So, so proud. His first hunt, I think he caught three? He’d act jealous, but I know better than that. He would be overjoyed.” Johnny’s voice came out soft, full of something that lived somewhere in between reverence and joy.

“O-Oh. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Silence took over the healing center then as they both stayed and continued to just be with Ten. Renjun would occasionally rest his head on the cot next to the other omega, and Johnny would sometimes reach over and grab his mate’s hand and give his knuckles gentle kisses.

“Where’s Taeyong?” Renjun broke the quiet after several minutes, curious as this was the first time over the past several days he had seen Johnny here without Taeyong. The alpha gave out a low sigh and gently rested Ten’s hand back down next to his side.

“I’ve had to work with the alpha on the perimeter and also with pack boundary things. Just our security and preparedness should we have to fight because-“ he stopped himself and looked warily at Renjun before shaking his head. “Never mind, that’s not the important part. I haven’t been able to visit Ten as much as I want to the past couple days, so Taeyong took over for me today.”

Renjun nodded, not realizing that he had seen Taeyong alone the past few times he visited as his mind had been consumed in his own worries and guilt.

“So, you’re one of the pack warriors, right?” Renjun asked, toying with the edge of the fur that was draped over Ten. Johnny nodded with a smirk on his face.

“Along with Ten and Taeyong, too. The first time I tried to flirt with Taeyong, Ten challenged me and destroyed me in a fight right then and there. I was no match for him, but he didn’t realize I had a crush on him, too,” Johnny chuckled softly, retelling his memory. Renjun couldn’t help but to smile as well, thinking that he would probably do something similar to what Ten had if he was in the same position.

Johnny entertained Renjun with tales of Ten both on and off the battlefield. How Ten had been the one to take down the wolf that tried to blindside Alpha Na, how Ten had been the one to suggest starting the pre shift program to train the pups, and how he was always there for everyone.

“He’ll be okay,” Renjun whispered into the air after it had become stagnant once Johnny’s stories were finished. Johnny nodded resolutely.

“He will.”

Renjun’s stomach was currently furious with him at the fact that he had not eaten since early in the morning and it was making sure that its protests were loudly heard. As he walked into the pack house, heading towards where dinner was beginning to be served, Renjun linked out to Jaemin and Jeno like he had promised.

_Hi, I’m at dinner now. I’ll save us some seats._

Going through the small line, one of the wolves who had been on the hunt with him that morning was serving each member. When Renjun passed, he winked with a large friendly smile.

“Hope you enjoy dinner. I think you may know the wolf that caught and killed it.” Renjun grinned happily.

“It’s my kills?” The other nodded in confirmation.

“Yeah! We’re serving yours fresh while the rest dry!”

Looking around the half full room, Renjun’s heart swelled with pride. Everyone was grouped off and talking, some of them shaking out their damp hair while others laughed while eating heartily. Eating what Renjun had caught and provided. He could practically feel his omega strut back and forth, showing off, inside of his mind.

Grabbing his food, he followed the small bustle of people and sat at one of the smaller tables towards the side of the room and began eating. He knew that Jeno and Jaemin would understand why he didn’t wait, but he hoped they would be there soon.

Renjun was almost halfway done with his food when a soft tap on his shoulder caused him to turn around. His face was already split in a smile, expecting his alphas. The happiness was quickly swiped away from his face as he saw his mother standing there instead.

Well, not his mother. What was he even supposed to call her now?

“Are these seats taken?” Her voice came out breathy and small as she hunched her shoulders in shame and guilt. Renjun’s face set itself in a hard line as he swallowed his emotions and directed his eyes down to his food, suddenly not feeling as hungry anymore.

“Yes, they are.”

“Renjun, please let me explain.”

His eyes began threatening to water as his emotions soared. Here was the woman he had loved more than anything else for his whole life, who had also been lying to him for just as long. Renjun wished nothing more than to have Jaemin and Jeno on either side of him supporting and comforting him.

Slowly, she tentatively scooted around the table and took an open seat directly across from him, setting her food down before her. Awkwardly clearing her throat, she opened her mouth before closing it again right away.

_My mother is here. Are you guys close? I’m-I don’t want to do this alone._

Renjun reached out once more, hoping that they hadn’t fallen back asleep or had become busy. He really needed them.

“I can’t imagine the shock you must be going through. Or, have gone through, finding out all of this information,” she finally started and Renjun couldn’t hold in the bitter scoff that sprung from his lips.

“Shock? That’s an understatement. Try gut-wrenching betrayal,” He took his utensil and stabbed it directly into the meat that had been left on his plate and began to stand. “I’m done eating now.”

“Renjun, please!” The sorrow in her voice stopped Renjun in his place. He knew he was being stubborn and rude, but his heart was nowhere near healed from the news quite yet. Timidly, Renjun lowered himself back into the chair and stared down at his hands in his lap.

“Okay. What?” Her relief was palpable when Renjun expressed even the smallest bit of interest.

“You have to believe me when I tell you that I had no idea that your father- or… that _man_ had taken you from someone else. We, well, we hadn’t been able to have a child. We had been trying for years and when he brought you and another pup back to the camp saying that he simply found you two abandoned in the woods.... you have to understand, Renjun,” his eyes flicked up to look at her the desperate tone of her voice startling him.

Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears and Renjun felt his breaths begin to stutter. Only breathing through his nose, Renjun tried to quell the intense tightness in his chest that was beginning to overwhelm him. When the first few tears began to fall down her cheeks, Renjun’s bottom lip began to quiver.

Reaching her hand out across the table, she tried to touch and comfort him, but Renjun couldn’t help but to recoil slightly. The look of anguish that passed across her face sent an intense pang of remorse through him.

When his tears finally spilled over and it became harder to hold in his sadness, he stood up once more and turned to leave.

“Renjun, wait!” She practically screamed, causing heads to turn in their direction.

“Just,” Renjun swallowed harshly, trying to clear his throat of the rough watery tone it had taken on. “I believe you. It’s just, it’s still a lot. Okay? I’m sorry,” he muttered under his breath, not quite sure she had heard him.

Placing his plate with the other dirty ones, Renjun quickly exited through the side and when the log door shut behind him, he let a sob finally wrack its way through his body. His shoulders shook with the force of his tears, and Renjun started to realize that maybe repressing it and not thinking about what he would do when it came to his mother, wasn’t the best idea after all.

Wiping his face, Renjun quickly gave up trying to dry himself as he was pelted above by the thick water droplets from the sky. For a few seconds, Renjun tried to settle his breathing as he extended his hands and looked at the rain collected inside of his palms. When it began to run over the sides of his hands, Renjun let them fall back to his sides and started heading back to Jaemin’s cabin.

What had started as slow dejected walking, soon increased to a hurried pace, before finally becoming a full on sprint. Renjun’s legs pumped as he ran through the camp crying at the situation and just how crazy of a day it had been. Nothing sounded better in that moment than to curl up by the fire with the two alphas that he was currently racing towards.

Sniffling quite loudly when he approached Jaemin’s, Renjun’s thighs began to softly sting from the long sprint he had just done. He ran his hands through his soaked hair a few times, getting his bangs off of his face, as he opened the door to the cabin. Looking down where he stood, he felt bad right away as he saw the tiny puddle he was creating on the ground.

Deciding to wait, Renjun stood still, trying to figure out the best way to get over to where the fire was burning lowly in the living room to his right.

“Jaemin? Jeno?” Renjun called out, his nose stuffed, making his voice more nasally than normal.

“Renjun?” Jaemin scream whispered, coming down the hallway shirtless with only a single pelt wrapped around his waist. “What? Aren’t you eating dinner? You shouldn’t be here, baby.” The worried furrow in Jaemin’s eyebrow stopped him in his tracks.

Every few seconds, Jaemin continued to look over his shoulder as if there was a secret he was hiding. Or, like there was a monster about to attack. It had Renjun’s instincts immediately on edge. 

“W-What? Why shouldn’t I be here?” Looking over his shoulder back down the way to his bedroom once again, Jaemin ran his hands through his tousled hair before sighing.

“Jeno went into rut.” Renjun blinked, not quite understanding. That didn’t seem like something to stress over so deeply, especially since they were in the comfort of Jaemin’s home.

“Okay, so? Why shouldn’t I be here? I mean, we’re all together, right? Why would I not be here for Jeno and for you, too?” Renjun’s heart began to clench; why didn’t Jaemin want him there? Or was it Jeno that didn’t want him? His mind went to the worst outcome right away. “We’re... I mean, it’s us _three,_ right?”

“Of course! That it’s us three, that is.” Jaemin rushed to soothe the omega, his whole demeanor still on edge. “It’s just, you’ve never been around an alpha in rut, right?”

“So?”

“Well, you don’t want to have sex yet, right?” Renjun’s eyes narrowed as he began to feel trepidation at where the conversation was heading.

“I mean, yes. Not yet. We just kissed for the first time today.”

“Then you shouldn’t be here. Alpha’s instincts can really take over and it could potentially be too much for you. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

“I can handle it.”

“No, Renjun. You don’t understand-“

“What? So I can’t even be here to help you both? Make sure you’re not dehydrated and make sure you eat?” Renjun leaned slightly closer, becoming more upset. “Have either of you even eaten today?” He accused.

“Yes, well, no, but that’s not what I mean.”

“Do you just not want me here? You can tell me, Jaemin. I’m a big boy, I can take it.” Jaemin sighed, exasperated as he rolled his eyes, making Renjun’s hackles rise.

“I know you can, okay? That’s not what I mean. I’m just nervous and we didn’t talk about this beforehand, so I don’t want you to feel obligated or pushed too far.”

“I won’t. You of all people know that I can stick my own ground. I just want to help.”

“Renjun,” Jaemin’s gaze grew harsh as his lips turned to a straight line. “It’s just not… Goddess, why can’t I get the point across? It’s just better if you don’t this time. We have plenty of ruts that we can spend together in the future.”

“Sure, Jaemin. Fine,” Renjun scoffed, wiping his brow as water continued to drip down his face, which caught Jaemin’s eye.

“You’re soaked, Renjun! You promised to stay dry-“

“Yeah, and I was coming here to do just that! You know, after I got fucking blind-sided by my mom while eating dinner and basically had a breakdown! I linked you both, but I guess you were too busy _fucking_ to bother to reach back out, huh?” Jaemin’s face looked broken at Renjun’s outburst. When the omega began to cry again, his head falling as he clenched his fists and jaw.

“Renjun…” Jaemin reached out a hand to caress Renjun’s face that he quickly dodged and slapped out of his face.

“Don’t.” The omega choked out before turning on his heel and exiting through the door, slamming it in his wake.

Pulling on his hair in frustration, Renjun half expected Jaemin to rush out to him, but the longer he stood there alone just outside of his door, the more his heart crumbled. He should have known that he was their third. It was Jaemin and Jeno with Renjun, sometimes.

In his rational mind he knew that it was possible that he might be being a bit dramatic, but everything was just too much all at once. He felt as if Jaemin was looking down on him and his capability of keeping himself safe.

He was not weak.

Renjun began walking back to the omega’s cabin, hoping that maybe he’d be able to have Donghyuck as a shoulder to lean on. Because he really just needed someone to be there for him right then.

A few minutes of slow walking later, the splashing, wet sounds of feet slamming against the ground passed by Renjun, but he refused to raise his eyes. When the noise began to turn around and get louder once more, a body stood directly in front of him not allowing him to move.

“Renjun? Are you okay?” Looking up, Renjun blinked the rain out of his eyes to see a very concerned looking Yukhei. His eyes were raking all over his form, taking in his drenched clothes and his red rimmed eyes; his scent was also sour.

“No.” Renjun decided there was no point in lying. “Have you seen Donghyuck?”

“Uh, yeah. He’s with Mark right now on a date, I think?” Renjun shook his head bitterly as his eyes continued to water.

“Alone again.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing, I’m sorry Xuxi. I didn’t mean to bother you.” As Renjun went to walk away, Yukhei reached out his hand and gently stopped him from going any farther.

“Hey. Renjun, I don’t know what’s going on, but you’re shaking and I don’t think you should be alone right now.” As Yukhei pointed it out, Renjun realized the alpha was right. His body was shivering violently, and he realized just how chilly he had become.

“I’m fine.”

“No you’re not,” turning to look at the alpha, he saw determination in his eyes, and Renjun knew he wouldn’t win whatever argument he wanted to have. Besides, he really didn’t want to have to sit in his room alone and know that the two people he currently cared the most for were together without him.

“Okay,” he choked out, swallowing deeply.

“Come dry off at my place. I’ll make you some soup over the fire, okay?”

“Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ヽ(●ﾟ´Д｀ﾟ●)ﾉﾟ
> 
> !!interest check!! would anyone be interested in johntaeten’s origin story?? like how they came to be a couple?...or throuple?


	17. Chapter 17

Entering into Yukhei’s cabin for the first time since the day Ten had him and the alpha spar so long ago, it hit Renjun how much his life had shifted in what seemed like such a short amount of time. The cabin was the same as he remembered it, only one large room with his bed still in the right corner looking as cozy as ever.

Yukhei shut the door behind them and went over to the fireplace on the left side and grabbed some of the wood he had sat next to it. The alpha quickly began to work on getting the logs aflame as Renjun wrapped his arms around himself and shivered.

His eyes raked across the room; the lone window above the bed let in dim lighting even though it was blocked off because of the rain. When he saw the grey fox fur that Yukhei had given to him that one day weeks ago, guilt clenched his heart. It had been easy to forget that the alpha had got the furs back when Renjun accepted Jaemin and Jeno’s instead.

Jaemin and Jeno.

His heart stuttered and his eyes stung at the thought of the two. He didn’t want to be fighting with them. In fact, he was extremely worried about Jeno and Jaemin. Neither of them had taken care of themselves that day, and now they were locked away in the heat of Jeno’s rut.

“Okay, come sit,” Yukhei’s deep voice broke into Renjun’s thoughts.

The logs in the fireplace were blazing brightly and Renjun quickly waddled over to the fire and sat as close as he could without burning his eyebrows off. The sigh that escaped his lips at the warmth had Yukhei giggling.

“Thank you, Yukhei.”

“Absolutely. It’s no problem, Jun!”

Renjun’s eyebrows pulled down at the use of the nickname. It was what Jeno had taken to calling him more often than not, and it only served to remind him once again that he was here with Yukhei and not with them. Sniffling quietly, Renjun rubbed the back of his hand over his nose before leaning his head forward to try and dry his hair first.

“If you want, you can hang your clothes above the fireplace here,” Yukhei pointed to the small shelf above it, “and you can wear some of my dry ones. It would probably help warm you faster?” Renjun nodded.

“Okay.” Missing the happy smile Yukhei’s face broke out into, Renjun began to peel the sopping wet shirt that was Jeno’s off of his body. The burst of rosemary that came through when it passed his face made his eyes water. Standing up, Renjun shuffled over to the shelf and draped his shirt there to dry.

“Oh.”

Turning back around, Renjun spotted Yukhei with a shirt and shorts in his hands, but his eyes were elsewhere. The alpha’s focus was directly on Renjun’s bare chest and stomach. He could feel more than see Yukhei taking in every bare inch of skin that he was currently showing.

It made Renjun shiver, half from cold and half from awkwardness. Maybe he should have waited until Yukhei had given him the clothes first. Or at least warned him before the alpha had turned around.

“Um,” Renjun softly spoke, nervously raising his arms to cover his chest. “Can I have the shirt, please?” Yukhei’s eyes snapped back up to his face and an intense flush of red dotted across his cheeks.

“Oh! Yeah! Of course! I’m so sorry, wow. I just- ha, um?” Yukhei reached his hand out that had the shirt in it and handed it to Renjun who quickly tossed it on over his head. It was just as big as Jeno’s had been on him, coming down to the tops of his knees.

“It’s, uh, fine,” Renjun mumbled as he shuffled his shorts off down his legs. He turned and placed them next to his shirt, getting on his tippy-toes to do so. This time, when he turned back around, Yukhei’s pupils were blown large and they radiated something dark.

Renjun’s first thought was that maybe he had grown too comfortable with Yukhei. He had viewed him as a friend, and yes maybe the alpha had a crush on him in the beginning of their friendship, but it was painfully obvious that he was being courted by Jeno and Jaemin. So, the look of want on the alpha’s face shocked him to say the least.

Whipping his eyes down to the ground, Yukhei tossed his shorts the small distance to Renjun who quickly slipped them on over his narrow hips. They were way too big on him, and Renjun had to continuously adjust them so that they sat on his waist and didn’t slip down to his pelvis.

“Do you want-“ Yukhei cleared his throat and Renjun looked back to him as he was now holding the fox fur blanket that had first caught Renjun’s attention. “It’s super warm, so,” he shrugged.

Renjun smiled thankfully and walked over to take the pelt from him before slinging it around his shoulders. Once he was swaddled in the warmth, he turned and plopped back down onto the ground in front of the fire. He heard Yukhei sit down on one of the chairs behind him as Renjun leaned forward to once again try and dry his hair. Raking his fingers through the strands, he ruffled them to try and speed up the process.

“You stopped shaking, are you warmer now?”

“Mhm,” Renjun called out softly. “Thanks.”

“Yeah.” Silence enveloped them for a few more moments before the alpha cleared his throat. “Did you still want some soup?” Renjun turned and arched an eyebrow at the alpha.

“Was I in the middle of eating my first kills on a hunt when my mom, not mom, interrupted my first meal of the day to try and explain why she had lied to me about being my birth mom?” Yukhei’s eyes grew large as he blinked a few times while Renjun grimaced and turned back towards the fire. “That’s a yes by the way.”

“Oh, wow, shit. Renjun, are you okay?”

“I could say yes, but that would be a lie. It’s a lot Xuxi,” Renjun’s voice caught in his throat and the alpha rushed to his side enveloping him in a hug. They sat that way on the floor, Yukhei hugging him closely and softly rubbing his back as Renjun’s breath stuttered in chest while he tried not to cry into the alpha’s shoulder.

“And-and, Jeno went into rut, but Jaemin won’t let me help, and, like, I know how to take care of myself! I just wanted to be able to feed them and bring them food and maybe make sure they had a nice nest-“ a hiccup bubbling up through his chest cut the omega off. Yukhei had stiffened around Renjun and slowly pulled back to look into his eyes.

“They didn’t want you to help with Jeno’s rut?” Yukhei sounded like Renjun had just told him that the sky was neon green and the grass was purple and orange.

“N-No,” he hiccupped once more, pulling the fur further around his body, the pelt completely swallowing him due to its size.

“What the hell, why?”

“Well, I don’t, um,” Renjun cleared his throat before burying his face into the soft blanket. “I don’t want to have sex yet? And Jaemin was concerned, so…I mean, honestly it’s considerate, I guess. But, today has just been a lot and-and I want it to be us _three,_ not just Jeno and Jaemin.” Poking back out from his hiding place inside of the pelt, Renjun looked up to see concerned and pitying eyes.

“I mean, Renjun,” The alpha scooted further away from him and gently rested a hand on his shoulder. “It’s always been Jaemin and Jeno. Ever since I can remember, really. So, it’s probably just habit? Or, I don’t know, maybe they’re not ready to bring someone into that environment with them yet? Maybe, it’s just a Jeno and Jaemin only thing?”

It felt as though lightning struck and hit Renjun directly in his heart. He could almost sense his spirit cracking into a million pieces. It physically hurt him. Clutching at his chest, Renjun bent in half to gasp out softly in pain.

“Renjun? Renjun! Are you okay?” Grunting, the omega shook his head no as he tried to steady his breaths.

He had heard people talk about heartbreak before, but the pain he was feeling wasn’t just emotional. Sharp agony pierced him, making his torso throb while his head began to feel cloudy as well.

“What the fuck-“ Renjun sucked in a breath and tears, from physical pain this time, leaked out of his eyes. “Is this normal, Yukhei? Is this what it feels like to get your heart broken?” He mumbled out, rubbing his hand in small circles over his pec.

“Wait, you're actually physically in pain?” When Renjun nodded, Yukhei leaned back looking bewildered. “You… you three… did you three mate?” Sending the alpha a look that conveyed just how stupid Renjun thought he was in that moment, he rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, I mated with two alphas who I just kissed for the first time today. Obviously not,” his voice was thick with sarcasm. Slowly, everything started to clear, his foggy brain and the aching in his chest dissipating little by little.

“I’ve just only heard of mates experiencing real physical pain of heartbreak, or when they sever their mate bond, so,” the alpha mumbled out, his voice tiny.

“I’m sorry for snapping,” Renjun said breathless, still trying to gather himself back together from the pain.

“No, I- it’s fine,” he shrugged. Renjun stared at the floor, steadying his breaths while Yukhei uncomfortably twiddled his thumbs in silence. “So, soup?”

“Yeah, soup.”

Yukhei sent him a small affected smile as he stood to cross to where pots and pans were hung up on a mantle. There were small sacks hung up across the wall like how they were in the healing center; Renjun figured that they must carry herbs and other small non-perishables.

The alpha piled a large bowl, that Renjun couldn’t see inside of, high of ingredients. Yukhei then excused himself to go around back and get his buckets that collected rainwater. Renjun sent him a grimace disguised as a smile as he nodded in understanding before staring back at the fire.

The moments ticked by as Renjun rolled around what Yukhei had said in his mind. Mates only… breaking their mating bond… heartbreak?

Was he heartbroken?

The thought of Jeno and Jaemin wanting nothing to do with him, of them not needing him because they were already complete as two rushed through him. His heart gave a faint thump of pain as he got slightly dizzy.

This couldn’t be normal.

_Renjun! Renjun? Are you okay?_

Startling, he braced himself on his hands, eyes darting around the cabin. For some reason it had sounded like Jaemin was in the room with him for a second. Gathering his wits back he exhaled shakily.

_W-Why?_

_Because we felt- we felt, something? Are you okay? What’s going on?_

_Wait, you both felt something?_

_Yeah, we did._ At Jeno’s voice joining into the link, Renjun’s eyes got wide.

 _Jeno?_ _Is that you?_

_Yeah. Hey, Jun._

The nickname triggered his eyes to begin watering once more as confusion swarmed him.

 _I don’t understand._ Renjun wondered if they could tell he was crying over the mind link.

_What don’t you understand, Jun?_

_Aren’t you in rut? And you both are… busy. You have each other, why are you even bothering-_

_What?_ Jaemin cut him off. _Why are you talking like that?_

_Come on. You both know. Just- just don’t worry. I’m fine. Just go do whatever it is you two do while Jeno is in rut. I’ll just be over here eating my fucking soup._

_Soup? Over where?_ Renjun groaned internally, wishing that Jaemin would just stop and leave him alone. He didn’t need the mental images of the two all cozied up together in bed naked, sharing tender kisses and passionate, heated moments.

_Goddess. Does it even matter? Just go back to one another. I’m fine._

_Injunnie…_ Renjun could feel the hurt in his tone, but at that moment, Yukhei came back in lugging a large bucket of water.

“Sorry for the wait, because of all the rain it was overflowing. But, I didn’t want to waste it so I poured some into another bucket and,” the alpha waved his hand dismissively. “Wait, are you okay?”

“Jeno and Jaemin,” Renjun croaked out, pointing to his head.

“Tell them to fuck off.” The alpha grunted out, his eyes flashing red.

 _Renjun?_ Jeno’s soft, questioning voice made his heart restrict even farther. How was the world so unfair? He wanted them more than anything, and he was finally beginning to admit that to himself. And yet, he was here with a different alpha, eating in his home and cuddled up by the fire. While the other two were together.

_Yukhei is back with the water for the soup. I’ve got to go now._

_I’m sorry?_ Jaemin’s voice was dripping in disbelief, a small incredulous laugh even tacked on at the end.

_What? Am I not allowed to spend time with my friends?_

_Of course you are, what? Renjun, that’s not… are you in his cabin?_ Jeno asked over the link while Yukhei got back to the task at hand. Renjun was telling himself to not be petty and to reassure the two, but… but another part of him was telling him to egg them on. To rile them up and see if they actually cared, or if they were just satisfied being the two of them.

_Yeah. I’m in his cabin._

_Alone?_

_Yes?_

_Renjun-_

_Please don’t ‘Renjun’ me. Donghyuck is busy and gone and you’re both otherwise occupied. You have each other and I have no one, so._

_Baby…_ Jaemin’s voice echoed with regret. _At least promise me you dried off? You’re not letting yourself get sick, are you?_ Renjun’s omega perked up slightly at the attention and care from Jaemin.

_Yes. I put on some of Yukhei’s dry clothes and he gave me a pelt by his fire too, so I’m fine-_

A deep growl ricocheted so loudly in his head, Renjun had to grasp either of his ears to try and dampen the sound. He could feel anger bleeding across the link, more of it coming from Jeno rather than Jaemin. Although, Jaemin’s was there as well.

“Renjun?”

 _He’s trying to take our omega. Our Renjun._ Jeno’s voice sounded feral over the link and Renjun startled as his eyes widened at the words.

 _Renjun, ah fuck. With Jeno’s rut-_ another growl. This one Renjun was almost certain he could hear outside of his head; it being so loud that it carried all the way across camp.

_Jeno. I was soaked when I got here, so I just changed once we were inside and hung my clothes up._

_Were you naked in front of him?_ Renjun shivered at the intensity of the alpha, and with the spike in Jaemin’s emotions at what Jeno had suggested, he felt dread seep into his bones. It’s easy when he’s with the other two to forget that they’re alphas sometimes. Since they’re so different from what he grew up with, but now he definitely remembered.

_I mean I was just shirtless and then I changed my shorts so-_

_I’m coming._

_Wait, Jeno?_ Renjun called out, but the link was silent, his mind whirling.

“Hey, you okay?”

_Jeno? Jaemin?_

Nothing.

“Yukhei, I think maybe we should go somewhere else,” Renjun breathed out before looking up to the other alpha’s stupefied face.

“Is it Jeno and Jaemin?”

“Yeah, I’m worried that-“

“What, are they coming here since they found out you came inside to spend time with me?” Renjun’s eyebrows drew downwards.

“I think so…”

“Then let them,” Yukhei grunted out, taking the soup off of the fire before he placed it on the table. He walked back over to his clothes and quickly stripped himself of the shirt he was wearing in order to put something thicker, almost leather looking on, before tying up the front.

“Yukhei, what are you-“

“Renjun. Be honest with me,” he turned back to look at Renjun, eyes imploring. “You know how I feel about you, don’t you?”

“I-I mean, I knew you used to have a crush on me, but I thought-“

“No. It’s more than a crush, and I think…” he trailed off, running his hands through his hair before letting out a tired sigh. Turning he strutted his way back over to Renjun before he softly pulled him to his feet and caressed either side of his jaw. “I just think if you gave us a chance, I could make you really happy. Jeno and Jaemin already have one another, Renjun.”

His eyes darted back and forth between Renjun’s own as his lips were parted in surprise. He had no idea that it had gotten to this level with Yukhei, and the way he said that the two had one another struck his heart in agony once more.

They stood there as Yukhei waited for a response, but Renjun was far too stunned by the escalation of everything that he had no idea how to proceed.

But, when Yukhei’s face surged forward and lips were pressed against his own, Renjun gasped in surprise and tried to take a step and back away. Yukhei must have thought that he was losing his balance because the alpha wrapped his hands around his waist and brought him closer, connecting their lips once more before Renjun whipped his head to the side so the kiss landed on his cheek instead.

“Yukhei, you’re misunderstanding!”

Just then, the door burst open and a seething and blood-eyed Jeno was standing shirtless in the doorway. His eyes raked across the way Yukhei was holding Renjun; how the alpha embraced him and had just pulled back from having his lips on his face.

A roar split from Jeno’s lips and Yukhei quickly gathered Renjun behind himself in order to shield him from Jeno’s wrath. But, Jeno wasn’t the one he was scared of in this scenario.

Raising his hands to his lips, he found himself shaking. Something felt really wrong inside of him, and when he looked up to make eye contact with Jaemin just past Jeno, it seemed like he could feel it too. Eyes watering, Renjun tried to walk back around Yukhei, who moved to continue guarding him.

“Yukhei, please. It’s fine. I need to talk to them-“

“No, Renjun. You don’t know how dangerous an alpha can be in rut. You need to stay safe.”

“I can fend for myself, trust me Yukhei. And I think we need to talk too, because what you did…”

“What did he do.” Jaemin demanded stepping forward into the cabin and Jeno huffed stepping to the side to let the other alpha join.

“Jaemin-“

“I kissed him.”

Yukhei must have had a death wish, because the moment those words left his lips, Jaemin’s eyes flashed just as bright red as Jeno’s had been. And now, Jeno’s deepened to such a dark crimson, it almost looked like his pupils were never ending pools of darkness.

“Jeno, Jaemin, I didn’t- I was just surprised, but I moved and he-“

But no one was listening to him anymore. It didn’t matter what he said because the alphas were in fight mode. Set up to a level so high that Renjun’s omega began to whine at the overwhelming alpha pheromones in the small space. It was becoming suffocating, and the sharp sour smell from Jeno and Jaemin was making his head spin.

 _Hyuck!_ It took several moments, during which Renjun could feel his heartbeat continue to escalate, before Donghyuck responded.

_…this better be important, or I swear to the Goddess, I will-_

_Send help to Yukhei’s cabin! Get either the alpha, or maybe Johnny! The second in command, someone, hurry! Someone who can take down Jaemin and Jeno, who is in rut._

_What the fuck did you get yourself into, Renjun?!_

_Please, hurry!_

“Let him go, Yukhei.” Jaemin commanded, pure authority in his voice.

“So he can be hurt by two jealous alphas? No way.”

“Yukhei, they won’t hurt me. I know they-“

“You don’t know them, Renjun! Alphas are dangerous, and the way they-“

“I’m getting impatient. Give me our mate,” Jeno snarled, his fingers flexing as if he was itching to sink his claws into any and everything.

“Mate? I’m sorry, mate? Does he have a mating bite? A claim? You both need to calm down. You sent him away from your rut anyways, so-“

“And that’s none of your fucking business.”

“Well, it became my business when I had to take in a shivering and sobbing Renjun from the rain. Put him in my clothes and furs and make sure he was okay while neither of you could!”

“Yukhei!” Renjun gasped, shocked at how confrontational the alpha had become, but that had been the breaking point for Jeno it seemed as he lunged for Yukhei and grabbed him by the collar to toss him outside into the mud and grass.

“You’re dead fucking meat, buddy. Nobody touches our mate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aha ha ha aha
> 
> cliffhangers are fun


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cries in short chapter*
> 
> I literally have no good reason as to why this took so long to get out. I have been OBSESSED with playing among us, and it's basically taken over all of my free time instead of writing. And this chapter is short as well, so I'm sorry. Please don't hate me! 
> 
> (っ- ‸ – ς)

Yukhei tumbled into the mud as rain continued to beat down on all three. Jeno, after having heaved Yukhei outside, now stood in a menacing stance above the other alpha. With his chest inflating and deflating at an insane rate, Jeno glared down at him, his bangs clinging to his forehead as water streamed down his face.

“Jeno,” Renjun whispered, tentatively taking a few steps forward towards the door frame. Jaemin’s head turned to face him, his eyes quickly turning back to their dark brown color from the bright red they had become.

Yukhei’s hand slipped slightly as he began to stand up, the slick mud making it hard to balance. When he finally stood straight up, Renjun noticed that Yukhei had several inches on Jeno, but somehow, Renjun doubted that that would make a difference.

Jeno began to circle the other alpha slowly, who stalked him in the same way. Jaemin came close to the doorframe where Renjun was and stood directly in the omega’s line of sight. Reaching his arms out, Jaemin grasped gently onto either of his shoulders and bent down to make earnest eye contact with Renjun.

“Baby, you don’t want to watch this. It’d be better if you went inside and just-“

“Are you kidding me right now, Jaemin?” Renjun rushed out, his voice thick with worry. “If you really think I’m going to just go inside and sit my ass on the floor while-“

Both of their heads turned at the sound of a loud growl rippling through the air. It was echoed right away by an answering snarl, and Renjun saw the blurry outline of Jeno bolting straight towards Yukhei.

Like the lighting that flashed across the sky, Jeno moved just as swiftly. His foot kicked out aiming right for Yukhei who dodged at an impressive speed. 

Ducking to avoid the furious alpha, Yukhei spun around to face towards Jeno’s back causing the alpha to change positions in order to see. As he begun to turn and face Yukhei, Jeno was taken aback when he narrowly avoided a fist aimed directly at his face. 

Stumbling, Jeno wasted no time in lashing out once more before he had even caught his balance. His claws were on full display as they came slicing down Yukhei’s torso. 

Gasping in pain and surprise, Yukhei clutched his chest and hurriedly tried to put some distance between them. 

However, Jeno was not about to let that happen.

Slamming into the other’s body, Jeno wrapped his arms around the other alpha’s middle and took him down to the ground. They collapsed together, but Jeno was quick in righting himself before beginning to pummel Yukhei’s face directly.

“Jeno!” Renjun cried out at the violent display, but Jeno didn’t budge.

Yukhei caught Jeno’s wrist as it tried to fly into his face again. Spitting out some of the blood from his mouth, Yukhei twisted the other’s hand harshly, bending his arm back before entangling their legs and shifting their weight. They shuffled clumsily on the ground for a second as balancing was made difficult by the slick earth beneath them.

In no time at all, Yukhei had gained the upper hand and now sat atop Jeno, his wrist still pinned back by the other. Jeno roared at being taken down and bucked his lower half up to jostle Yukhei away from him.

Wrenching his wrist free, Jeno scrambled upright and moved to stand above the other alpha who was flat on his back. Yukhei quickly righted himself, only to be kicked across the face by Jeno, sending him spiraling backwards.

“No!” Renjun yelled out, making to jolt forward. Jaemin’s hold on him grew tight as he stopped Renjun from racing forward directly into the thick of it all.

“Baby-“

“Don’t ‘baby’ me! Stop him!” Jaemin huffed angrily.

“He kissed you, he scented you, he insulted us and you expect Jeno, who is in rut, to not react this way?”

“But-“ A sickening crack caught both of their attention, followed by a piercing scream.

Jeno had a hold on Yukhei’s arm that was currently bent in a direction that no arm should be able to be bent into. The other alpha was struggling to find purchase on Jeno in order to lessen the pain, but was unable to.

Bringing Yukhei to his knees, Jeno’s chest heaved as it glistened in the rain, the drops curving in and out of the planes on his abdomen. Yukhei’s knees buckled from the pain, causing him to kneel in the mud as he pathetically clawed at Jeno, attempting to pry him away.

At the sight, Renjun had decided that enough was enough.

Grabbing Jaemin’s wrist, Renjun spun underneath his arms and broke free from his grip to sprint forward and throw his arms around Jeno’s middle from behind. The alpha didn’t move a single inch, and up this close Renjun could easily hear the soft whimpers of hurt escaping Yukhei’s mouth.

“Jeno. Jeno? Please,” Renjun whispered, pressing his face snugly into his bare shoulder. The alpha huffed, and Renjun felt his muscles relax marginally. “Hey, Jeno? I’m right here, hm? Please, _please_ stop.”

Renjun’s shoulders began to shake as he realized just how naive he had been. Jaemin was right when he had said he wasn’t ready to spend a rut with either of them quite yet. Sniffling quietly into the alpha’s back, Renjun realized that this was all because of his stubbornness earlier.

He just couldn’t quite catch a break, could he?

Crying freely now, Renjun began to quiver as he clung even tighter to Jeno. Trying to take in what was usually the comforting scent of the alpha, Renjun simply became more affected when all he smelt was burnt rosemary and souring fruit. 

Letting the dam break, Renjun’s sobs rang out loudly. The rain mixed with his tears as his fingers dug into the taught muscles of Jeno’s sides.

He felt the alpha shift in his hold in order to turn and cling back onto him. Strong arms tenderly moved Renjun so that he was nuzzled directly into the crook of Jeno’s neck. Trying to wipe his face on his sleeve, Renjun quickly gave up when he realized how useless it was as he had quickly become soaked to the bone.

“Jun,” a soft, loving voice that Renjun clung to in times of need whispered from above him. A kiss was placed atop the crown of his head as a soft citrus scent engulfed him. “I’m sorry.”

Choking on his breath, Renjun felt himself get swarmed from behind as well, a soft scent of basil joining and mingling with his saddened floral one.

“We should go,” Jaemin’s gentle words shook Renjun from his stupor enough to peek his head up in order to take in the damage.

Donghyuck was across the small stretch of grass clinging to a startled Mark. Johnny and another large wolf that Renjun didn’t recognize were slowly raising Yukhei up from the ground, trying to brace his arm that was still twisted into a horrible angle.

“Please come with us, Renjun,” Jeno practically begged as he littered kisses into his hair and down across his cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, please don’t hate me. Please, I’m begging, please come with us,” his voice cracked somewhere in the middle, and Renjun found himself nodding in agreement.

His mind was whirling at the events of the day, and Renjun honest to Goddess was afraid that he would pass out because of it. It felt like this day had been more than a week long, packed to the brim with new emotions and stressful situations.

“Come on, love,” Jaemin spoke out softly, sending a signal to the other alpha that wasn’t Johnny who had come to help.

The walk in the dreary weather to Jaemin’s cabin was silent.

The rain pounding around them was louder than Renjun’s own thoughts as he tried to drown everything out besides the two alphas on either side of him.

When they reached Jaemin’s cabin, the alpha rushed in first and grabbed a single fur to splay it down directly in front of the fireplace before starting to light a fire. Jeno shuffled in behind Renjun and timidly directed him towards where warmth was beginning to fill the small cabin.

Dejectedly plopping himself down on the floor, Renjun turned his focus directly onto the blazing flames. He felt more than saw the other two alphas settle somewhere near him.

“Have either of you even eaten today?” Renjun spoke, his voice lacking its usual melodic tone.

“Renjun,” Jaemin swallowed awkwardly, swiping his hand through his damp hair and shaking it out. “About what happened-“

“Have you eaten?” His voice hollow, both of the alphas shared a look before Jeno cleared his throat.

“No, well, Jaemin had some snacks stored, so we ate those.” Renjun nodded before sighing out and stretching his neck left and right.

“You should be eating. Especially you, Jeno. Have you both had enough water?”

“Renjun.”

“Have you?” After a few moments of quiet, Jeno breathed out deeply through his nose before responding.

“Probably not.”

“You guys really need to be taking better care of yourselves.”

“I know, Jun.” Nodding his head absentmindedly, Renjun turned to his right to face Jaemin directly.

“I’m sorry about earlier. I was-“ Renjun’s voice wobbled, cutting him off before he cleared his throat and continued. “I understand now. Why it wasn’t really the right time for me to join Jeno’s rut. I’m sorry I stormed out like that. I was in a weird mood…”

“Your mom?”

“Yeah.”

“Renjun, about Yukhei-“ Cutting Jeno off, Renjun turned to face the other alpha instead.

“Jeno, why did you have to go that far? He…he just… I mean,” swallowing deeply, Renjun rubbed his hands over his face distractedly. “He said you both have each other, and that he could make me happy, and then he just-“

A low growl came from Jeno’s chest as he gripped the nape of Renjun’s neck and immediately began to scent him. Running his lips up and down the side of his neck, Jeno stuck his tongue out and licked a stripe up the side to his earlobe, making the omega shiver.

“You have to understand, Renjun,” Jeno’s voice came out low and husky as his other hand came up to cradle Renjun’s head. “My wolf wanted him dead. I would have never… but, you have to understand how much it hurt. How much I wanted to rip him off of you the second I saw you so close to him. _You’re ours, Renjun_.”

Renjun knew that it was Jeno’s rut talking, but he couldn’t help the pathetic whimper half of submission and half of sadness that escaped his lips. No matter how they spoke, the small voice in his head kept repeating that Yukhei had been right. The two did have one another, so where did Renjun fit?

“But… you both have one another-“

“And we have you too,” Jaemin interrupted before taking a pause. “Or, we would like to. Renjun, Jeno and I finally feel complete.” The alpha reached out and grabbed Renjun’s hand, bringing it up to hold it against his chest. “We’ve always had one another, that’s true, but now with you—I mean the second we saw you we knew something was different. I’m sorry we’ve been fucking it up so much, but it’s because we’ve gotten so used to our own habits. I know I forget that you can’t just read my mind. Well, actually,” he trailed off, a joking smile on his face.

“Jaemin’s right, Renjun. You’re our missing puzzle piece. When my heart physically started to ache earlier…I thought something had happened to you. We thought,” Jeno’s voice choked up before he growled in frustration. “I don’t know why I can’t get my damn point across. I swear it’s this stupid rut and it’s clouding my head, and all I want to do is cuddle you, but my wolf is saying ‘no, fuck your omega’s brains out’, and so my emotions are all over the place, and oh Goddess- I just broke Yukhei’s arm—“

“Jeno,” Renjun gently placed his hand over Jeno’s own that still rested on Renjun’s cheek which was now flushed with warmth from the alpha’s comment.

“Calm down. It’s okay. We’re here, and I think I’m beginning to understand a bit better.” Clearing his throat, the omega shuffled backwards. “I won’t lie. I think I need extreme amounts of reassurance from both of you if this can continue going forward. And I would like it to. Also, this is humiliating for me to say, so please say you’ll do it or else I’ll probably cry again.”

Jaemin chuckled half-heartedly before leaning forward and stealing Renjun’s next breath away with his lips. They pillowed against his own, simply lingering in what had to have been a promise.

“Renjun. You’re a part of this relationship as long as you want to be. Okay?” Breathlessly nodding, Jeno started placing delicate kisses against his neck where his scent was strongest.

“Jun,” Jeno’s voice reverberated lowly throughout the room. “I’m worried that if you don’t leave my wolf will go crazy. I want to mark you so bad,” he whispered into his skin, licking across where Renjun’s scent glands resided.

Letting his head fall back and to the side, Renjun fully exposed himself to the alpha, letting him know that he was willing to submit. The thought alone of Jeno marking him, of being Jeno’s mate, made his heart soar.

If it had been broken earlier, these words alone had begun to stitch his heart back together.

Jaemin leaned across the small space and began to suck just below Renjun’s Adam’s apple as a burst of earthy herbs wafted over them.

“Just the thought of Jeno marking you,” his own voice cut off in a growl as Jaemin’s body surged forward and grabbed Renjun’s neck, tilting his head all the way back with his thumbs on his jaw. Jeno shuffled away slightly to make room for Jaemin’s face as he began attacking their omega’s perfectly clear skin. Renjun’s hands came up to cling to Jaemin’s forearms as he gasped at the intensity.

“If you can’t be with us during my rut,” Jeno grunted, pulling Jaemin by the hair to get him off of Renjun’s neck, “then we’ll mark you up so well that no one would question if you’re ours or not. So, that means,” Jeno’s eyes flashed red as he gripped the shirt Renjun was in, Yukhei’s shirt, and tore it apart.

The pieces of fabric shredded in two as Jeno’s forearms flexed and revealed Renjun’s naked chest. Gasping in surprise at the sudden display of strength and of the cool air hitting his still damp skin, he barely had time to feel cold as Jeno quickly wrapped him in his arms.

Scraping his teeth along the side of his neck down to his collarbones from behind, Jeno placed small love bites all across every inch of skin he could reach. Jaemin leaned forward to do the same, and Renjun was having a hard time holding still.

The overwhelming thickness of alpha pheromone in the air was getting to Renjun and fast. His mind was becoming cloudy and all he wanted to do was to be mated and knotted.

Which is why he stopped them.

Gently pushing them both away, the alphas scooted backwards from him and looked on with dilated pupils full of possessive lust.

“I was-” Renjun gasped slightly as he went to shift his sitting position and felt the small bit of wetness between his legs. Jeno’s nostrils flared and his eyes turned blood red before he closed them shut and buried his face in his hands.

“Sorry, Jun. Jaemin, give him your shirt.” Quickly obliging, Jaemin rid himself of his clothing before slipping it on over Renjun’s head and pecking both of his cheeks with quick kisses.

“I-I should go,” Renjun murmured, getting a sharp nod from Jeno where he still hid behind his hands and a sad smile from Jaemin.

“I’ll walk you back to the omega cabin. Is that okay, Jeno?”

“Yeah, yeah. The next wave will be soon, but I don’t think it will be as intense since my wolf basically came out when I fought.”

“Okay.”

“Please take care of yourself,” Renjun pouted, causing Jeno to peek up and see his cute expression.

“Promise.”

“Good,” Jaemin grabbed his hand and stood up with him before grabbing the closest pelt and tossing it over their heads as a makeshift way of preventing themselves from getting soaked after they had just finished drying off.

“I’ll see you in… what, two days?” Renjun cocked his head at Jeno whose eyes sparkled.

“Probably two days. And then we’ll take you on a date, okay?” Smiling softly, Renjun shakily exhaled through his nose.

Over the next two days, he’d probably have to cling to Donghyuck and annoy him to death in order to hold himself back from running into their open arms.

“I’d like that.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another short one (⊙︿⊙✿)
> 
> at this rate this is going to have a million chapters

The next two days weren’t as horrible as Renjun had previously thought they would be. The three of them had worked out a bit of a compromise that when Jeno was in between waves of his rut, that Renjun would bring them food and they would eat together.

Renjun hadn’t even thought of suggesting the idea, but when Jeno and Jaemin mind linked him and asked if he would be interested, he had been quick to say yes. His omega was more than satisfied as he now knew that they were being well fed and staying hydrated.

He may or may not have let it slip one time during breakfast that everything would be perfect if he could build them a nice nest too, and that may or may not have made Jaemin almost cry.

Renjun had left in a flustered huff, not realizing how much that would affect them both. Not only had one alpha started to tear up, but his other alpha immediately went back into his rut. Renjun was left to wonder how the next round would go for the two of them given the polar opposite states they had been in.

Snickering, he had divulged this to a cackling Donghyuck when he got back to the omega cabin.

But now, Renjun stood just outside the said cabin with two alphas in front of him, extending their hands that were full of flowers.

To be specific: they were flower crowns.

“We made matching ones? For the date?” Jeno started, slightly embarrassed.

Renjun looked down to the lilac, blue, and yellow dotted stems. There were three of them, and Renjun could pick whichever he wanted most. One was woven slightly tighter and had extra yellow flowers, so he quickly snatched that one up.

Even though he was loath to admit it, the gesture was quite cute. But, he would also rather die than let them know how much he enjoyed cute things.

Right after this, both Jaemin and Jeno had tried to cover his eyes, which he didn’t allow. So, with his eyes clamped shut and tight, they led him away from the camp, unknowing to where their destination would be.

They walked for quite a ways; so far that Renjun’s complaining had begun to irritate Jaemin. When the omega had asked for what had to have been the fifth time if they were there yet, he was quickly swept off of his feet and thrown over someone’s shoulder as they began to sprint.

“Ah! What the fuck!”

“You better not open your eyes!” Jaemin shouted over his shoulder to where Renjun was being jostled with every step the alpha took. Jeno’s laughter rang out somewhere beside them as Renjun continued to squeeze his eyes shut.

They couldn’t have walked for more than ten minutes, and when Jaemin hauled Renjun back over his shoulder to set the omega down with a huff, Renjun demanded to be allowed to open his eyes right away.

“Okay, okay,” the omega’s shoulders were gripped gently as his body was navigated slightly to the left. “Go ahead.”

Blinking his eyes open, Renjun took a couple of seconds to adjust to the brightness outside. They had been lucky it was such a gorgeous day, the rain having cleared away from them, so the three of them could go on a proper date.

Jaemin and Jeno had led Renjun to the edge of the forest where it met directly with rolling planes of tall grass that drifted in the wind. The small alcove that they currently stood in was covered with lush berry bushes that teemed with small fruits.

“Oh my- are those blackberries?” Renjun gasped softly as he handed off the flower crown he had kept in his hand to Jeno who was closest. Walking forward to get a closer look, Renjun bent down to inspect the bush.

“Yeah! And there’s blueberries and raspberries here too.”

“We knew that you really like berries, but I don’t think Jaemin or I have seen you really get to eat any in quite some time? You definitely haven’t been able to make your jams, so…” Jeno trailed off and walked to the side of a larger tree, fishing behind it before pulling out a woven basket.

“Tah dah!” Jaemin sang out, spreading his arms wide as Jeno began to remove the things Renjun needed to make his jams.

“You-“ Renjun’s mouth hung agape as he blinked several times trying to put everything together. Renjun himself hadn’t even noticed that he hadn’t given himself time alone in order to do something like this.

And, it was exactly what he needed right now.

Suddenly sniffling, Jeno dropped the bucket and rushed to his side to hold Jaemin following suit. The gesture was so sweet, and although Renjun might be overreacting a bit, he couldn’t help but to be so touched that they would remember something special to him like this.

“Did we do something wrong?” Jeno asked, his voice vulnerable. Renjun shook his head before letting out a watery laugh and wiping at his eyes.

“No, I’m just a dramatic mess right now. I’m just… I’m so…” he looked up to the two alphas that currently had him squished between their bodies. “Thank you both.”

“Of course, our Injunnie! Now! You have to lead us and tell us where to start because Jeno and I were arguing about how this actually works and if we got all of the right things we needed. I insisted we did because my mom has made some jellies before-“

“But! Those are different from jams, Jaemin!”

“What’s the difference!”

Renjun began to laugh loudly at what had to have been the most ridiculous fight he had ever heard. And, although Jeno was right, Renjun had every intention to wait just a bit longer and let them fight out more before he divulged this information.

Jaemin pouted into the tiny finished jar of blueberry jam as Jeno began to stomp the small fire out. Renjun scooted over and laid his head down in the upset alpha’s lap, gazing directly up at him.

“Why are you so pouty, hm?”

“I hate being wrong,” Renjun let out a stuttered laugh before reaching up and pinching the other’s cheek.

“You’re such a big baby. I have no idea how you’re an alpha.”

“Take that back!” Jaemin demanded, gasping before Renjun skittered out of his lap and began to sprint into the tall fields of grass. Jeno’s head sprung up from where he had been trying to decorate his jar of raspberry jam to see the other alpha chase Renjun away. Shaking his head lovingly, Jeno dusted off his hands before joining the hunt.

Renjun sprinted far away ducking and weaving between particularly large stalks of grass at the bottom of one of the rolling hills Covering his mouth to hide his snickering, Jaemin yelled out somewhere from over the top of the hill.

“You can hide, but you know we can smell you right?” Renjun rolled his eyes before calling back.

“Neither of you can catch up to me though,” and then Renjun took off, darting father out into the sea of green.

“Okay, I think you’re underestimating us!” Jeno shouted back as both of the alphas started their chase.

Renjun, occasionally glancing back over his shoulder, found himself unable to contain his giggles when at one point Jaemin’s foot must have caught on something and he tumbled down making Jeno fall directly over the other’s body.

“Jaemin, what the-“

Jeno playfully clung to the other alpha and began to wrestle him on the ground. Rolling his eyes, Renjun decided to stalk closer in order to get a better vantage point.

Jaemin used Jeno’s strength against him, making the other unintentionally flip over so that now Jaemin sat atop his waist. Leaning down, Jaemin laughed, his smile bright, before he kissed Jeno’s lips swiftly before pecking either of his cheeks.

When the alpha began to blush, Jeno turned his head and caught sight of Renjun, pointing him out to Jaemin.

“There!” Squeaking, Renjun realized he had gotten too close as he turned to run once more.

His center of gravity was turned on its head as he was hoisted up into the air by strong arms. Pounding lightly at the broad back of Jeno, the omega whined petulantly.

“Why do you guys always just pick me up? Why not tackle me like you do with each other?”

“Because you’re so tiny and cute,” Jaemin cooed, following behind Jeno and pinching Renjun’s cheeks. Jaemin was still beautiful even upside down, and Renjun scowled at the alpha as he swayed slightly side to side while Jeno took them back towards their small camp.

When they got back, Renjun wriggled his way out of the embrace, frowning indifferently. Jaemin attempted to baby him once again, which resulted in the alpha receiving a very light warning smack upside the head.

“So, since I caught you what do I win?” Jeno teased, looping his arms around Renjun and pressing delicate kisses against the shell of his ear. Squirming at the sudden closeness, Renjun turned to face the alpha, ignoring Jaemin for a moment.

Brushing Jeno’s bangs away from his face, he kissed him like Jaemin had in the fields. Even pressing a small peck against the corner of his mouth before leaning back onto the balls of his feet and sending him a small smile.

“Hey, not fair! I thought we were on a team? Don’t I win something too?”

“Nope!” Renjun joyfully replied, sending a taunting wink over his shoulder to Jaemin.

Naturally, it wasn’t long until Jaemin was able to charm a kiss or two out of Renjun as well. And as they sat in the evening glow, the sun rapidly setting, Renjun used both of his alphas as pillows. They both volunteered to lie on the rocky earth, and pride be damned, but it made Renjun’s heart flutter.

As they debated whether or not to stay and do a bit of stargazing, Jeno’s stomach gurgled loudly. Laughing, Renjun turned over, his hand pressing against the alpha’s hardened torso.

“I could actually feel that your stomach growled so loudly,” Renjun chuckled. “Let’s head back, okay?”

“But, if you want to stay and watch the stars, we could just-“ Using Jaemin’s leg as leverage, Renjun leaned forward to shut his alpha up with a kiss. Barley leaning back, he whispered against Jeno’s lips.

“Let’s go back, Nono.” The air felt still for a moment before the alpha took in a stuttered breath, his hands coming up to circle Renjun’s waist to the best of his ability.

“Wait, no, don’t stop. I’m loving this,” Jaemin smugly announced from beside them making Jeno grumble under his breath. “What? Can you blame me? Renjun was all ‘ooo, Nono’ and you were all ‘oh my Goddess I’m about to pop a boner right here right now’ – _oof_!”

Jeno, having rolled Renjun off of him, hoisted himself up and grabbed their basket of jams, letting it fall directly onto Jaemin’s abdomen. The air was pushed out of the alpha’s lungs at the impact, and Renjun couldn’t contain the snort that he let out at the sight.

“Alright, you two, break it up,” Renjun sighed, turning to grab where they had laid the flower crowns down, dropping them into the basket that sat atop Jaemin. “Alphas,” he rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath.

Since the walk back Renjun was able to have his eyes open, he took in just how pretty the path actually was. Apparently, according to Jaemin and Jeno, this used to be where they picked their berries. But now, with Sicheng basically running the farming, (which Renjun found out that he had been underselling himself on, claiming that he merely did the water) the berries grew plentifully a mere minutes walk away from their other crops. So, that’s why there was a decently worn path to and from the location.

As they wandered back into the pack, Jaemin was insisting that Renjun wear the flower crown. That no one in the world would look prettier than him with his hair adorned in flowers. After enduring the begging for several minutes, Renjun grumbled under his breath before shoving the crown atop his head and turning to face the two alphas.

“So, how is it?” Renjun tried to play it off like it was no big deal, but the way his heart beat in anticipation clearly gave him away.

What if he didn’t live up to their expectations? What if he didn’t really look that pretty? Did he even want to look pretty in the first place?

“Oh wow, Jun. You’re gorgeous,” Jeno breathed out.

“All I want to do is see you all dressed up in flowers now. You are the prettiest, cutest omega in the whole world. I can’t believe you even look at me and Jeno-“

“Hey, speak for yourself,” Jeno accused.

Blushing softly, Renjun was thankful for the almost completely set sun. His face was almost totally hidden, and hopefully his heart wasn’t beating too loud. Trotting back over to the two, Renjun grabbed either of their hands and pulled them the rest of the way into camp.

Their goal was to get over to the pack house and hopefully find some leftovers from dinner. Or, even better, get dinner if for some reason they were running late.

Renjun was laughing loudly at some joke Jaemin had told as Jeno shook his head fondly, apparently having already heard it a million times, when they finally got to the building. Going to open the door, Jaemin was pushed out of the way as the pack house entrance flung itself open.

Johnny rushed past them, completely ignoring how he had almost just given Jaemin a bloody nose. The alpha was obviously determined, and for some reason, it made the palms of Renjun’s hands sweat.

“Johnny!” Renjun called out, making the alpha whip his head around. His eyes were wide, and his breathing was labored.

“Renjun,” he panted out.

“What’s- Why- Is everything okay?”

“It’s Ten,” Johnny swallowed deeply. The hair on the back of Renjun's neck stood on its end, as his heart stuttered in his chest. Bracing himself for the worst, Renjun began to squeeze either of his alpha’s hands so harshly he was almost certain there would be bruises left behind.

Sniffling, Johnny’s eyes grew wet, and even in the dark evening, Renjun could see tears glistening as they trickled across his cheeks before they split into the largest smile he had ever seen.

“He’s awake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D


	20. Chapter 20

“He’s awake.”

Renjun felt his eyes swell with moisture as the world spun in slow motion for several seconds. Johnny turned on his heel and began to run in the direction of the health center, but for some reason Renjun was frozen to the spot. It took Jaemin pulling on his hand to snap him out of his stupor.

Both alphas started jogging lightly, but Renjun was quick to overtake them, passing them easily with his speed. Darting forward, Renjun could feel the air rushing through his lungs as his legs pumped harshly. Each step, all he could hear was blood pumping in his ears and the wet crunch of dirt and grass beneath his feet. Renjun ran so fast, that he even overtook Johnny who barked out a laugh at the sight.

When the hill where the center sat came into view, Renjun choked on a sob, telling his legs to move faster. Calves burning, he finally crested the hill and slammed his shoulder straight into the cabin door forcing it open. It swung in with a resounding bang as it ricocheted into the wall, but Renjun didn’t care. The three people inside startled, but quickly let out soft laughs at the sight.

As Renjun stood there, panting in the doorway, Johnny came up behind him and gently moved the omega out of the way, eyes locked on the site before them both.

Ten was disheveled. More than disheveled actually. It was easy to tell that he was in intense pain and that he had lost quite a bit of weight, but above it all he still had a lively glint in his gaze that was currently locked onto Johnny who had bent down and began to kiss across his face.

Taeyong was next to Ten on the ground, using the back of his hand to rub away the happy tears that fell down his cheeks. After Johnny had drowned the hurt omega in kisses, he leaned across the smaller’s body to peck Taeyong on the lips as well.

When Ten’s eyes flicked up to Renjun and he shot him a small smile, he couldn’t hold in the loud sobs that began to wrack his body.

“Oh, Renjun, come here,” Ten’s voice was weak and raspy, but Renjun stumbled forward clumsily nonetheless, draping himself gently across the other omega.

Pressing his face into the crook of Ten’s neck, Renjun began to rub his scent all across the other omega’s body. He knew his tears were most likely soaking the thin shirt Ten had on, but each time he took a breath to apologize, Renjun found himself falling into another round of tears.

Pressing against his shoulders gently, Ten pried Renjun away from where he was making a teary snot-filled mess of his shoulder. Gently grabbing either side of Renjun’s face, he looked in his eyes and sent him his signature feline smile before pinching his cheeks lovingly.

“What’d I miss?”

Jaemin and Jeno had gotten there only a minute or so later and forced Renjun to move back and off of Ten so that his mates could spend time with him. And, even though they were able to pry him from the omega’s side, they couldn’t get Renjun to leave the health center no matter how hard they tried.

Kun flitted in and out, mixing certain things together and burning some lavender in the corner of the room in order to help soothe Ten. His mates' scents had done a great job of doing that already, but each time Ten so much as shifted, you could tell pain shot up and down his back at an intense level.

Jaemin and Jeno were kind enough to bring everyone dinner, and they all sat around Ten and filled him in on the latest happenings. Renjun had blushed while he tried to whisper a bit of what had happened with him and the alphas. Ten, of course, repeated what he had said loudly in order to get said alphas' attention which caused him to blush brightly.

Sicheng ended up bursting through the door a couple of hours later, gasping for breath before his face broke out into a pretty heart-shaped grin. Renjun was pulled away from Ten so that Sicheng could sit next to him and converse with his best friend for a while.

“Let’s give them some time, baby,” Jaemin whispered into Renjun’s hair as he, Jaemin and Jeno stood outside of the cabin.

“Yeah, will you help me make something for Ten? An apology gift?”

“Apology for what?” Jeno tilted his head cutely in confusion before Renjun sighed and bit the inside of his cheek.

“For,” he gestured vaguely, “all of this. Just… Can you help me make him one of those flower crowns? Like what you both gave me earlier?”

“Sure, Injunnie!” Jaemin chirped, grabbing both of the other’s hands and dragging them off into the night. “But, not until tomorrow because you need sleep and we wouldn’t be able to see anything anyways!”

“But—wait! There’s space in the healing center, I could probably just sleep there-“ Jeno pressed a soft kiss to the top of Renjun’s head as the two continued to drag him along.

“I’m sure his mates will want to sleep with him tonight, Jun.”

“But, I could-“

“Junnie,” Jeno looked at him tenderly, “We know you want to make sure he’s okay and that you miss him, but I promise, _promise_ you’ll see him tomorrow. And the day after that, and after that, too, okay?”

Renjun knew that they were right, but he had just gotten Ten back and a small voice in his head wondered if Ten might fall asleep again and slip back into the coma. Or something worse. It was obvious that Ten still had a long way to go when it came to healing, and Renjun wanted to be there and help in whatever way possible.

But, maybe that meant leaving him alone for now.

“Okay,” Renjun nodded, resigned.

“Wanna sleep with us tonight?” Jaemin wrapped his arms around Renjun’s waist and tried to walk with him at the same time, causing them to waddle awkwardly.

“Yes, please.” Renjun chuckled at the stunted movement as he tried not to step on Jaemin’s feet.

They walked like that for a while before Jeno pried Jaemin off of Renjun’s back and forced him to move like a 'normal person’. Jaemin simply jabbed a finger harshly into Jeno’s side in retaliation, making him squeak.

When they got to Jaemin’s cabin, they all bustled inside and, almost simultaneously, let out a deep sigh. Renjun stretched his arms high above his head, his shirt rising up to show his midriff as he realized just how tired he was.

They had been going almost all day. Running around, traveling, making jams, and there had been emotional sprinting too. Renjun’s heart hadn’t felt as light as it currently did in what had to have been weeks.

Jeno grabbed Jaemin by the waist and pulled him off of the ground, running down the hallway to throw him onto the bed while laughing. The pleasant mood in the air was infectious, and Renjun chased after the two to see the alphas begin to tussle.

Jeno and Jaemin fell into a familiar dance of wrestling that Renjun had become more than used to. In fact, they had been doing just as much earlier that day. Renjun’s cheeks began to sting, his facial muscles tired from how often he had been smiling. Raising his hands to massage his cheeks, he couldn’t hold back his laughter when Jaemin accidentally elbowed Jeno right in the groin and sent the alpha spiraling into a series of low groans. Jaemin quickly righted himself and began to hover his hands over the other’s body trying to figure out the best way to make him feel better.

“You guys-“ Renjun cut himself off with a laugh as Jeno lashed out and bonked the other on the head in retaliation, “You guys are insane.”

“Oh please,” Jaemin chided, rubbing his head, “you know you love us.”

Renjun giggled a bit before his smile faltered slightly and he awkwardly cleared his throat. Jaemin realized what he had said a beat later, his mouth popping open in an ‘o’ shape while Jeno still groaned slightly.

“I mean-“

“It’s fine, I know what you-“

Renjun and Jaemin started at the same time, cutting into one another’s sentences.

Did he love them?

If he was honest with himself, he knew it was probably yes. Life was different with them in it, that much he was sure of at the very least. Things were crazier, were more intense when it came to both the good and bad. They had shown him so much and pushed him to learn quite a bit about himself. And, although they’ve made mistakes, Renjun’s track record wasn’t squeaky clean either.

He truly had grown in these past months. He had changed for the better.

“Uhh,” Jeno wheezed out, “can I get some Renjun cuddles because this asshole over here only brings me pain.” He could tell that Jeno’s 'pain' was now being drawn out and played up for comedic effect, but Renjun didn’t mind. Chuckling at the pout Jaemin sent their way, Renjun trotted over to the bed and sat beside Jeno, curling into his arm.

“Better?” The omega asked before getting pulled down on top of Jeno with a huff.

“Yup!”

“Hey, I want to cuddle, too! What the hell?”

“No. You’re in timeout because you elbowed me in the balls.” Renjun snorted at the bluntness with which Jeno spoke and Jaemin sputtered at a loss for words.

“You picked me up and slammed me onto the bed first!”

“Slammed is a bit too harsh of a word for what I actually did, Jaemin. It was more like I… tossed you.”

“What’s the difference!”

Renjun buried his face directly into the crook of Jeno’s neck, inhaling his citrusy scent and rubbing his nose against where it was the strongest, trying to muffle his giggles at the ridiculous argument. The two alphas continued on, and finally, Renjun rolled over Jeno to settle in between the two.

Pressing his cold toes on Jaemin’s thighs to make him yelp in surprise, Renjun shuffled so that he was draped in one of the largest furs that rested on the bed. Jeno pulled Renjun back into his chest before Jaemin grabbed his feet and took them off of his legs. Renjun simply extended his legs once more, kicking lightly at Jaemin who tried to smack the omega's feet away from him. 

When Jaemin finally won and Renjun realized his toes were doomed to be cold, he huffed out in annoyance. Whining in protest at the loss of the warmth, Renjun wriggled as Jaemin turned to snuggle back into him so that they were a sandwich of cuddles. A spooning sandwich of cuddles, that is.

They chatted softly as they stayed like that, Jaemin moving around a few more times until he felt comfortable. (a.k.a. until Renjun had had enough of his squirming and had flicked him in the center of his forehead)

The herby and floral smell of their swirling contented pheromones washed over the room, making them all realize just how well their scents melded together. With his chest rumbling happily, Renjun finally drifted off to the sound of a deep-breathing Jeno behind him.

Renjun had woken up before the sun even had, eager to go and see how Ten was doing. After trying—and failing miserably—to get the alphas out of bed to get them to show him where the best flowers were, Renjun had decided to set off on his own.

Lucking out, Renjun sighed in relief when he found that Donghyuck had been awake, so he dragged his friend from the omega cabin and out into a field beyond the crops where the wildflowers grew bountifully. Showing him a few tricks, Donghyuck quickly finished a small bouquet that he tied expertly with a stretchy grass he had found. Renjun tried, and failed, to duplicate it.

They spent close to an hour just going over the basis of a flower crown, and suddenly Renjun felt much more honored at the fact that Jeno and Jaemin had made him one.

When he successfully made his first loop, Donghyuck was linked by Mark asking him to breakfast. With a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows, Renjun bid his friend adieu and continued to slave over his masterpiece.

He had chosen small purple and white flowers that he thought would compliment Ten’s eyes and his hair well. They wove between one another, small clusters of each color alternating around the circle.

Once he was satisfied with how it turned out, Renjun began his trek to the healing center. He wasn’t sure who exactly would be there at this hour, but he figured Ten wouldn’t be alone.

Going back through the crops field, Renjun spotted Sicheng and gave him a small wave that the beta returned easily.

“Where are you going, Renjun?”

“Oh! I, uh, made this for Ten?” His voice was soft and unsure, coming out like a question since he was embarrassed to reveal what he had made for some reason. But, when he held up the small crown, Sicheng’s eyes sparkled before he bent down and picked up two bucketfuls of water.

“He’ll love it, don’t look so worried.”

“Thank you,” Renjun smiled again, going on his way to the cabin.

When he arrived, Renjun knocked lightly and waited. He figured he was probably waking whoever was in there up, and didn’t want to startle them badly. A soft ‘come in’ drifted from the other side of the door, and Renjun tucked the flower crown behind his back before peeking inside.

To his surprise, Ten was alone and propped up against the wall next to his cot. His eyes lit up at the sight of Renjun, and he motioned for the other to join him right away.

“To what do I owe the honor?” Ten joked, his voice still weak.

“I may have made you something?” Cocking his head, Ten sent him a mischievous smile.

“May have? So did you or didn’t you?”

“Uhhhh,” Renjun trailed off, stalling. Once Ten began to giggle at his hesitance, Renjun finally pulled the flower crown out from behind his back and watched as Ten’s eyes went wide in surprise.

“Junnie, you made this for me?” Renjun nodded, bashfully.

“Do you like it? I wanted to get you something to say…. Well, to say sorry. Ten, I’m so, so sorry. If there’s anything I can do to help you, anything at all, please say the word. I owe you my life, Ten… you-“ Ten shook his head which quickly quieted Renjun before he took the flower crown from his hands to set it atop his head.

“You don’t owe me anything.”

“Are you kidding me? You-“ Ten held up his hand, cutting Renjun off.

“Seriously, Renjun. It was my pleasure to take the hit instead of you. You’re young, you’re budding, coming into yourself as a wolf and as a person. If you were to have gotten hurt, I would have never forgiven myself.” His voice was strong and had a tone of finality to it, but Renjun couldn't stop himself.

“You say you could have never forgiven yourself, so how do you think I felt about you? You…Ten, you’re basically like a parent to me,” his voice wobbled, and the sad smile Ten sent him made him sniff harshly and push his tears back down.

“Which is exactly why I have to watch out for you and protect you. Don’t you see?” Renjun shook his head before huffing in frustration as he looked to the ceiling, trying to not let his tears fall.

“I’m fucking sick of crying.” Ten laughed loudly at Renjun's exclamation before coughing sharply and clutching at his chest, a grimace on his face. “Are you okay?”

Renjun reached out tentatively, but Ten simply held up a finger signaling to give him one second. Rubbing circles into his torso above his heart, Ten breathed deeply before his face finally fell back into something neutral.

“Just a side effect,” he shrugged. Renjun narrowed his eyes in concern, but let it go in favor of changing the subject completely.

“Where are Taeyong and Johnny? Or Kun even?” Ten picked up the flower crown to run a hand through his hair, before placing it back down.

“Kun will be back later. I banished Taeyong and Johnny to go and eat because nobody was able to grab them food and neither of them wanted to leave me. I finally got them out of the door by saying that I was hungry,” he chuckled. “So, I’m sure they’ll be back any second now.”

Renjun hummed, tracing the edge of the pelt that covered Ten’s body. They sat that way in silence for awhile, before Ten brought his hand up to card its way through the other’s hair lovingly.

“So, what does Kun have to say about all this?”

“All this? You mean my injury?” Ten grinned, but Renjun refused to look at him, guilt still heavy in his heart.

“Yeah.”

When Ten tried to respond and his voice faltered, Renjun’s head snapped up to look at him. They stared at each other, Ten’s eyes becoming more and more conflicted as the moment passed. After looking over to the closed door, Ten turned his gaze back onto Renjun before a sad smile spread across his face.

“You know how I was just saying that you’re young, and how you couldn’t have gotten hurt like me because you’re just now finding your own way?” Renjun gulped, unsure of where this conversation was going.

“Yes?”

“I haven’t told Taeyong or Johnny yet.” Ten turned to look out the lone window, refusing to make eye contact with Renjun. His heart began to speedup, worry pulsating through his body.

“W-What is it, Ten?”

“I can’t feel my legs.” Renjun blinked once and then twice before his brow furrowed, not quite understanding.

“What do you mean, you can’t feel your legs?”

“Just that. His claws went directly down my back. They caught into part of my spine. Kun said-“ his voice cracked before he cleared his throat and continued. “Kun said it might not be permanent, but there’s a chance that I’ll never walk again.”

“There’s no way. Kun must be wrong. He needs to check again, there’s no way, you can’t-“

“Hey, hey, hey, shhh,” Ten hushed him, stroking Renjun’s face gently. “Look at the bright side, at least you’re finally the fastest wolf in the pack.” Ten winked and Renjun simply pushed his hand away from his face.

“Don’t say that! You can’t give up, I’m positive there’s something Kun could do. Something anyone can do. We can fix this, Ten. You don’t have to…you don’t have to just give up…”

“I’m not giving up, Junnie. I’m being realistic. Kun did say there is a chance, but,” he breathed out deeply, his chest deflating, “But that chance is extremely low. You couldn’t have taken this injury, Renjun. There’s not a single cell in my body that would have let you take that attack. I’ve already been a warrior. I’ve taught so many, I’ve traveled, I’ve made love, but your life is just starting.”

Renjun’s face broke, the small veil of togetherness he had had shattering into pieces and falling onto the ground around them. Ten’s eyes were sad, and it was easy to tell that he had come to terms with his fate.

“Come here,” Ten whispered, opening his arms and letting Renjun fall into them.

Wrapping himself around the other’s neck, Renjun felt sick to his stomach thinking about how just a few hours ago he was in the same position, but crying tears of happiness instead. Yes, Ten was back with them, but at what cost? Ten would never be the Ten from before again. He’d never spar with him, never go on a run with him.

Just then, the door creaked open and in walked Taeyong with several plates of food, Johnny not far behind.

“Did someone order breakfast,” Johnny boomed, filling the cabin with mirth. Renjun could almost hear the way Ten rolled his eyes, and Taeyong’s giggle sounded so pretty and melodic.

“What is it?”

“Your favorite, Tennie!” Taeyong chimed coming to sit by them. Finally retracting himself from Ten’s shoulder, Taeyong noticed Renjun’s current state. “Renjun, are you okay?”

“You missed our Tennie that badly, huh? I can’t say I can blame you one bit,” Johnny chuckled, his voice warm. Renjun looked back to Ten who nodded almost imperceptibly.

“Y-Yes. I missed Ten a lot,” he sniffed harshly, rubbing his hand across his nose. “I should leave you guys to it, then.”

“You can stay, Renjun! We definitely brought plenty of food,” Taeyong gestured at the giant spread that he was currently laying out on the edge of Ten’s cot and on one of the chairs he had pulled over.

“No, no, it’s okay.” Renjun forced a smile onto his face, and as he walked towards the door, Johnny ruffled his hair. His eyes locked onto Ten’s once more before the door closed behind him. All he could see was a gentle sadness in them.

Renjun stared at the ground just outside the cabin for several minutes before he decided to simply let his legs take him wherever they pleased. He refused to let his mind churn and stew in sadness. There were still so many things to be happy about, weren’t there?

His progress with Jaemin and Jeno had been amazing. And, Ten was awake, after all. He would make it just fine. Well, mostly fine.

What would Taeyong and Johnny say? Would they blame him for it?

No.

Renjun shook his head as soon as the thought entered his mind. He wasn’t dumb enough to think that Taeyong or Johnny would be angry with him when they found out. If they hadn’t been angry when it first happened, there’s no way they would be now.

Once again, it seemed that every time Renjun tried to grasp the handle of happiness, it turned out to be a double edged sword. The life of a warrior, of a fighter was filled with injuries and so many never even made it out. Renjun could really learn a harsh lesson from this whole situation. Is this truly the life he wanted? The life of a fighter?

The fight with that disgusting beta who had the audacity to call himself Renjun’s father hadn’t been anything compared to what Ten had already gone through if Johnny’s stories were correct. Couldn’t compare to anything his own mother went through. His birth mother, that is.

Speaking of mothers…

Renjun came to a stop and looked up to see just exactly where he had taken himself. He stood just outside the nursery for the pups, the almost completely risen sun sitting prettily behind the cabin. He wasn’t exactly sure if she still worked here, or when she did, or if anyone was even inside yet, but he could wait and figure it out.

He had been stubborn long enough.

If he wanted to be strong, to be a warrior like Ten… like Ten had been… then he needed to realize that anything could be gone in a single second. He had given himself enough time to process his feelings on the matter, and honestly, she deserved a conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I keep doing this. I don't mean to make it so angsty ;; come yell at me on twitter!  
> (つ﹏<。)


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ hello everyone, I know it hasn't been long but I've missed you!

Renjun gave a soft knock to the cabin’s door, and it wasn’t long until a pretty and dainty looking woman opened it and gave him a questioning hello. Explaining that he was waiting for someone, Renjun then asked if there was anything he could do to help. After she invited him inside, he noticed how quiet the room was compared to last time.

“The babies that stay with us are asleep in the back rooms. They’re the pups of the patrollers, usually, since they have to be gone all night to walk the border of the pack.” Renjun nodded.

“That makes sense. So, what can I do?” She smiled a gentle smile before ushering him to a corner chair, and pushing on his shoulders so that he could sit.

“Just wait here. Our two toddlers will wake up any second now, and then shortly after is when parents start arriving to drop their children off. That’s also when our volunteers come in, so you’ll probably find…” she gave him a brief curious look before shaking it off and continuing. “Probably find whoever it is that you’re looking for.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

She nodded softly, before turning and heading in the opposite direction and down a hallway. Renjun turned and observed just how tidy the space looked, and as he was eyeing a large basket full of wooden toys in the corner, a soft knock came from the door.

Renjun scrambled to stand up before looking in the direction that the lady had gone, wondering if he should answer the door. When nothing happened, he walked tentatively forward and cracked it open only to be faced with a very giggly baby held by an alpha much taller than him

“Oh! You’re new!” He flashed Renjun a stunning smile before the toddler wrapped her arms around her dad’s neck and buried her face into his shoulder, not wanting to let go.

“Yes, my name is Renjun. And what’s your name?” Renjun tilted his head to ask the small girl who poked her head back out of her safe cavern for a moment to eye him.

“Sooni,” she replied in a small voice before her father laughed heartily.

“This is our Soonyen, but we call her Sooni.”

“Wow, Sooni, that’s such a pretty name!” Renjun gasped lightly, feigning shock and admiration. The little girl giggled before reaching her arms out to Renjun which he then took happily. Pulling her close to his chest, her father began his goodbyes.

Once the alpha left, Renjun brought her inside and took her to the box of toys right away. When he began chatting with her, Renjun quickly found out that they shared a mutual love for berries. He told her all about the jams he liked to make, and after pinky promising Sooni that he would bring her some next time, the lady that had let him in that morning came back down the hallway, a sleepy pup slung across her shoulder.

The morning continued on that way. Every so often over the next couple of hours, parents would come and drop off their toddlers. Renjun didn’t see a pup younger than two and not one older than five as well. More and more help came in, and Renjun found himself easily sliding into the tempo of the workers around him with the small shadow of Sooni behind him everywhere he went.

Thoroughly enraptured in the way one of the older boy pups was lecturing him on types of grass, Renjun missed the door opening once more. He figured it was probably someone bringing in one of the kids from outside, but when a sharp gasp rang out from behind him startling him into paying attention, he realized he was wrong.

His mother stood there, eyes wide and locked onto him. Renjun felt his heart begin to race and his hands become fidgety, not quite sure how to proceed now.

Sooni, who had been sitting next to him the whole time, smiled a smile that could rival the sun and began to race over to his mother’s legs and wrap herself around them. Snapping out of her reverie, she looked down to Sooni and quickly brought her up into her arms.

“I made a new friend!” Sooni exclaimed and pointed towards Renjun who blushed in response at the awkwardness of the situation. Smiling sadly, his mother nodded her head.

“He seems like a good friend, Sooni.”

“He is! He’s the best! He’s really sweet, and nice, and he likes to play, and he likes berries too!” Renjun’s heart clenched and he was sure that his mother was feeling something similar. After a beat, Renjun stood and brushed his legs off before shuffling awkwardly to close the distance.

“Hey, Sooni, do you want to play with us both?” Renjun asked gently, and the resounding yes from the small child lit his heart aflame with happiness. His mother smiled at him, and, hesitantly, he returned it.

They shuffled over to the corner where Renjun had found her so many moons ago, when Jeno was nothing more than a flirty alpha. As they settled, her sat in a chair and Renjun on the ground with Sooni, he spoke first.

“Things are going really well with Jaemin and Jeno, I think. They listen to me well,” he whispered as he rolled a small ball back and forth with Sooni.

“That’s wonderful, Renjun. I’m so happy for you.” Her voice was watery and Renjun begged his own to stay stable.

“Yeah. We’ve had our problems, that’s for sure, but… we always seem to fix it.”

“Truly, I am so happy for you, Renjun. You deserve nothing but the best, and after how your father—after how _he_ raised you, you don’t deserve anything less.” Renjun scowled deeply at the mention of the horrid beta; his mind flashed to Ten where he lay in his bed.

“So,” Renjun started, clearing his throat as he tried to prompt her to say whatever she needed to say.

“I was being nothing but truthful when I said that I had no idea about what that man had done to get you. You know that, right?” Her voice sounded so frail, as if one harsh word from Renjun would send her world spiraling.

“I’ll be honest. I haven’t allowed myself to think about it much. It’s kind of just been stewing in my mind,” he grumbled while Sooni pulled on his fingers, trying to count them one by one.

“That I completely understand. How… How are you coping with it?” Renjun shook his head, an angry sigh slipping from his mouth.

“I can’t help but to think about how so much of my life was wasted being fed lies to only then be treated like dirt. Having no one there for me those last several years. Well,” his eyes flickered up to his mother’s hurt one’s. “No one except you.”

She stuttered on a soft sob, making Sooni look up at her in worry. The little girl let go on Renjun’s hand only to crawl her way up into his mother’s lap and put her hands on her teary cheeks, making them both smile.

“Why are you crying?” She asked confusedly to only be answered by a soft shake of his mother’s head.

“Adult things, sweetheart.” She answered, stroking the girl’s hair. Sooni pouted in anger, huffing.

“Well, adult things are stupid then.”

“I agree,” Renjun piped up from his spot on the ground, making his mom release a watery laugh. “I’m sorry I’ve given you such a hard time. I didn’t really handle this situation the best I could have,” he said, his voice ashamed.

“No, it was so much to hear and to handle. And then your friend got hurt, and I can’t imagine what you must be going through. Please, Renjun. It has been a lot. I understand. I’m simply thankful that you decided to come and speak to me,” his mother’s lips quirked upwards as she shook her head at Sooni’s antics of wriggling around in her lap.

“Yes, it’s been a lot. Which is an understatement. I don’t even know how to date someone, let alone two people, so there’s that as well…” His eyes flickered across the room, taking in the chaotic scene unable to not compare it to his own tumultuous life.

“You had so much to deal with when you presented,” she changed the subject, making Renjun furrow his brow in confusion. “I was planning on telling you that we had adopted you when you first presented, but then everything changed in the blink of an eye,” she continued, answering his silent question.

“Oh,” Renjun sighed out, nodding his head in quiet acceptance. It made sense that things had ended up being that way then. He didn’t know if he could have handled the news of not really being their child among everything else he went through daily.

“Yes.”

“I get it. Really, I understand why you did it. It doesn’t mean I’m happy about it, but I understand,” he murmured before silence settled between them only Sooni’s occasional giggle or question breaking the quiet.

“Do you still want me in your life, Renjun?” His mother asked softly several moments later as Sooni was distracted with a toy.

“Yes.” Renjun knew he had already decided before coming here that he still wanted, still _needed_ her. “You may not be my birthday parent, but you’re still my mom.”

Their eyes locked, both of them watery as she stood and pulled him up and into her embrace. Renjun buried his head in her neck, deeply inhaling the scent that he hadn’t realized he had missed so dearly. He knew their dynamic would never quite be the same, but having that conversation shed light onto a part of his heart he had tried to keep locked up. A part that needed his mother.

“I love you, Jun,” she whispered, kissing his hair. Instead of responding, Renjun simply snuggled in closer to her before he felt a tiny tug on his pant leg.

“I want hugs too!” Sooni whined, extending her arms upwards before Renjun quickly snatched her up and blew raspberries onto her cheeks making the toddler bend over in laughter.

With a promise to have dinner together sometime that week, Renjun walked out of the cabin with a smile. Sooni had cried and made him promise to come back and visit her, so he would have to explain to Jeno and Jaemin that he was now working part-time in the nursery.

Renjun quickly trekked back across the pack grounds, popping into the pack house to grab a quick snack before he headed back to Jaemin’s cabin. They had been neglecting their responsibilities as of late, so Renjun wasn’t exactly sure if they would be there or not.

_Are you guys at Jaemin’s cabin?_

_I am,_ Jeno’s voice came quickly. _But, Jaemin is with his father right now. Important business apparently._

_Yeah, sorry baby. I’ll see you both later tonight._

Renjun bit into his apple, as he came upon Jaemin’s cabin. Simply popping in, Renjun convinced Jeno to go with him to the pool in the forest in order to clean up. Well, convincing isn’t truly the correct word to use, seeing as Jeno jumped at the opportunity before the full sentence had even left Renjun’s mouth.

The two walked hand in hand to the small lagoon hidden away, reflecting on all the times that they had once stumbled upon each other there. Jeno and Renjun also didn’t miss the opportunity to tease Jaemin for missing out on the time together. Of course, once he started pouting via mind-link, Renjun quickly shut up, refusing to listen to the cringe worthy speech of his alpha.

When they got to the small pool, Renjun made Jeno turn around as he stripped, causing soft giggles to escape from Jeno at the slight absurdity considering what all they had been through. But, he obliged nonetheless.

Renjun waded into the cool water first, heading straight for the waterfall before he heard a splash from behind him. Turning to look past his shoulder, Renjun spotted Jeno popping up from underneath the surface, shaking his wet hair out of his face with a deep inhale of breath. His body was glistening and toned, and Renjun truly couldn’t help himself as he stared holes into the other.

Jeno, catching him in the act, sent him a lopsided smirk. Making his way through the water, Jeno encroached upon him, cupping Renjun’s jaw.

“Like what you see?” Jeno teased, his teeth flashing a bright white. Renjun rolled his eyes before softly removing the other’s grip on his chin.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” he quipped right back, a humorous smile on his face.

“It’s okay. I don’t mind the ogling as long as it’s from someone as pretty as you,” Jeno smiled, dipping down to press a wet kiss on Renjun’s cheek. 

“Oh please, we all know who’s doing the ogling here.”

“Hm,” Jeno wrapped his hands around Renjun’s naked waist, bringing them closer together in the water, their torsos almost touching. Bending his head, Jeno traced his parted lips across the column of Renjun’s neck. “Can you blame me though?” He punctuated with a kiss to the omega’s jaw.

“I mean,” Renjun’s voice wobbled as more kisses began to be pressed against his neck. “No, not really. I am pretty cute.” He tried to continue joking to no avail as Jeno continued his onslaught.

“Cute? No, you’re gorgeous,” he whispered in his ear before capturing Renjun’s lips with his own.

Jeno kissed him tenderly; it was a passionate moment between the two. Nothing about it was hurried or soppy, they simply enjoyed one another’s presence. Simply took in the closeness of one another.

Renjun’s lips parted allowing Jeno’s tongue to dip inside as he arched farther over Renjun causing the smaller to lean back further into the alpha’s embrace. Jeno rubbed dizzying circles into Renjun’s sides as he continued to explore his partner’s mouth.

He could feel the way Jeno’s hands fell lower and lower on his back until either of his hands were grasping Renjun’s ass. A sharp gasp made Renjun straighten his back, his body going tense for a moment at the surprise.

“Okay?” Jeno asked, his brow furrowing as he began to remove his hands, but Renjun simply gripped the alphas arms harder.

“No, no, yeah. Uh, yeah, no, it’s fine. It’s good,” he nodded tersely, making Jeno chuckle before he dove right back into their kiss.

Tracing his lips with his tongue, Jeno grabbed Renjun’s ass harshly once again beneath the water, making the omega stifle a gasp against his alpha’s lips. Jeno licked inside of his mouth as Renjun opened up for him, letting his head fall to the side, pliant.

Jeno lowered his hands even more, gripping just beneath each of his cheeks before lifting Renjun slightly up in order to encourage the omega to wrap his legs around his waist. With the water supporting them, it was easy for the both of them to move, and when they met in the middle, their lengths brushing, Renjun gasped at how hard Jeno already felt.

“Jeno?” Renjun breathed out in question to the alpha who simply grunted. Moving with him through the water, Jeno brought them to the edge of the pool before sitting Renjun down on the smooth rock that borders it.

Before he could protest, Jeno is easing Renjun to lay back, his entire nakedness exposed as he spreads the omega’s legs. His length lay against his stomach almost completely hard as his breaths labored in anticipation. The smallest amount of wetness had begun to gather right at his center, and when Jeno leaned in to lick a strip right across it, Renjun gasped so hard his throat hurt.

“Jeno!” He called out, half from pleasure and half from embarrassment. They were out in the open after all. All it would take is if Donghyuck needed to take a bath, and then-

His thoughts were interrupted as Jeno’s grip on the omega’s legs tightened before he pushed them slightly outwards so he could access Renjun better. His tongue running small circles on his rim, teasing him, before he pressed his nose to his perineum and pressed his tongue flat against him, lapping eagerly at the slick that had begun to dampen him.

Renjun struggled to find something, anything the grasp onto as his naked and wet body shone in the sunlight. As he clasped his hands around Jeno’s own where they sat holding him open, Jeno prodded the tip of the tongue past the tight ring of muscle, exploring him fully.

“Oh fuck,” Renjun squeezed his eyes shut tight as his legs began to quiver while the alpha fully seated his tongue inside of him before pulling it back out and fucking it inside once more.

_Jaemin, you’re missing out. Our baby tastes so delicious._

“Jeno, wha- ahh,” Renjun tried to ask, hearing the alphas voice echo inside his own head before he lowered his hands to thumb across his hole. Rocking down against the sensation, Renjun swallowed harshly when the tip of Jeno’s thumb sank inside of him right by where he continued to eat him out.

 _Fuck, what’s happening?_ Jaemin’s voice echoed across their link and Renjun couldn’t hold in the guttural moan at the sound of his other alpha, wishing they were both here.

_Hm, our baby just moaned at the sound of your voice. Maybe you can help him out?_

_Oh, Renjun…_

Jaemin’s voice was dripping in sin. The sultry tone was not lost over their link, and Renjun turned his head quickly the other way as Jeno sunk his thumb completely inside of him before pulling it back out to stretch around his rim. Renjun grasped his thighs harsher where Jeno had been and opened himself even further, lost to the feeling.

_Does it feel good, baby? Tell me what Jeno’s doing to you._

_He’s- oh Jaemin, he’s-_

As Renjun tried to respond, Jeno removed his thumb, replacing it with two of his fingers and fucking them inside of him instead. He curved them upwards, rubbing along his slick insides as he placed bruising kisses across his inner left thigh.

_He’s so pretty, Jaem._

_Fuck, you’re going to kill me._

The voices of his alphas in his head seemed even more intense in that moment than hearing them in person had been. Their raspy, lust-filled tones bouncing around inside of him, making him gasp and squirm against the feeling of being fucked full.

_He’s so wet, Jaemin._

_How wet are you, baby? Tell me._

_Alpha, so wet—ah, alpha—_

At the mention of alpha, Jeno began to pick up his speed, scooting forward and wrapping his left arm around the omega’s left leg to pull him against his hardened abdomen. A feral growl reverberated in Renjun’s head, making him whimper and lean his head to the side, exposing his neck for the taking.

Renjun’s body was slowly falling into a cloudy sense of need and want. Specifically to be marked, mated, _knotted_. He wanted his alphas to be with him in every sense of the word, and when Jeno finally hit inside of him just right, Renjun couldn’t hold back the small scream that left his lips, making his cock jump against his stomach as it dripped precum.

“Pretty,” Jeno spoke softly, before gently slipping his free hand between Renjun’s abdomen and length, simply holding it up slightly to stare at it.

“Jeno,” Renjun cried, his eyes locked onto the alpha’s before he closed his hand into a fist and began fucking it down onto Renjun’s length.

He really yelled now, trying to squirm away from the intensity that now wracked through his body. With his prostate and his length being rubbed just the right way, Renjun knew that it wouldn’t be much longer until he came.

The soft sound of the forest and the waterfall were aided by the squelching sound of Renjun’s slick being fucked in and out of his own ass by the intensity and speed of Jeno’s fingers. Letting go of his cock momentarily, Jeno swiped his hand through the slick on Renjun’s inner thighs before taking him back into his fist and fucking once more.

_Gonna come, please—please!_

Renjun had meant to say it out loud, but he was so lost in the feeling he had linked it instead. Jeno simply sped up his ministrations as continuous possessive growls echoed around inside of his head.

 _Gonna come, baby? Is Jeno just making our baby feel too good, he can’t handle it? Did you tell Jeno thank you for making you feel so good?_ Jaemin’s voice was deep as it came across.

“Thank y-you, Jeno,” Renjun gasped, a slight wetness in his eyes.

“Let Jaemin hear you, Junnie.” Jeno ordered slightly out of breath. Renjun looked down and could see the head of Jeno’s cock just barely peeking out from the water.

_Th-thank you, Jeno. Thank you, Jaemin._

_Good boy._

With Jaemin’s encouragement, Renjun found himself clenching deep in his belly, a tight flame of pleasure sweeping through his body before he came. Jeno stilled his fingers inside of Renjun right over his gland, milking him through it by pressing down in small circles.

Renjun’s as arched up, squeezing harshly around Jeno’s digits as come arched over the alpha’s hand. Panting and squirming, Renjun blubbered out pleads for his alpha, but Jeno didn’t stop until he knew that Renjun had given him everything.

Chest heaving, Renjun looked up through hooded eyelids to spot the alpha leaning forward and taking his slick coated hand to quickly jack himself off. He panted as he took in the sight of Renjun completely wrecked and fucked out, groaning at his omega open and wet for him.

_Jeno looks so pretty…_

Renjun gasped out, letting Jaemin know what he was seeing. A deep hum came across the link as Jeno threw his head back and picked up his pace. Propping himself up on wobbly arms, Renjun reached down and took a hold of Jeno’s cock, circling the sensitive head with his small fingers.

_Looks so big in my hands, Jaemin._

_Fuck, baby._

Renjun was pretty sure that wherever Jaemin was, he was currently jacking himself off as well. Jeno brought his other hand up to encourage Renjun to curl his small fist around the tip of his cock, so that he could fucking into it while still massaging the rest of his length.

With his tongue poking out slightly, Renjun looked up and locked eyes with Jeno. His eyebrows furrowed slightly and his muscles flexed. It wasn’t long after that that Jeno began to pain Renjun white, across his legs and ass.

_Renjun’s ass looks so good painted white._

Jeno’s breath was labored but that one sentence was all it took to have Jaemin finishing too wherever he was. They could hear him coming, his voice loud and clear before all there was to be heard were soft hurried breaths.

Humming contentedly, Renjun let himself relax backwards against the cool rock, his knees falling together to close his legs. Jeno shakily huffed out a deep breath, before flinging his still damp hair off of his forehead.

 _Wish you were here, Jaem._ Jeno said, receiving a grunt of frustration in return.

_Renjun I’m going to eat you out tonight until you pass out. Be warned now._

Renjun groaned, his stomach already swirling at the possibilities before he looked down at what a mess he had become.

“Jeno, we still need to bathe.”

“Mhm.”

Helping him sit up, Jeno picked Renjun up from under his arms and lowered him back into the water beside himself. Renjun’s legs were wobbly, and he felt strangely empty. At his small frown, Jeno giggled before placing a kiss on his forehead.

“What is it, Jun?”

“My ass feels weird.”

“Want me to kiss it better?” Renjun reached his arm out and smacked his shoulder at the crude joke. Jeno’s laughter rang out in the small space before he sighed and picked Renjun up to bring him over to the waterfall and soak both of their heads in the torrent of water. Just as he was about to berate the alpha once more, Jaemin interrupted them.

_Guys… I think my dad might have heard me._

Jeno and Renjun paused a moment, sharing a look before they both began to cackle loudly. Jeno lowered him back into the water and Renjun draped himself over the alpha unable to breathe properly at the thought of the pack alpha hearing his son jerking off.

_Guys, I’m serious. What do I do?_

Instead of responding, the two simply listened to their own laughter as it bounced around underneath the waterfall in one another’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can we get some comments and kudos for a chapter that doesn't make you want to punch me?? no angst this time around~  
> (•⊙ω⊙•)
> 
> also this chap is kind of whiplash lol


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ヾ｜￣ー￣｜ﾉ

Jaemin had made true of his promise to Renjun later that night. When the omega woke up early the next morning along with Jaemin to get ready for Renjun’s second ever morning hunt, he felt the consequences of letting Jaemin do as he please run throughout his body.

Groaning and taking extra time to stretch his legs out, Renjun gave Jeno a small good morning peck before Jaemin followed suit. Jeno, blinking sleepy crescent eyes up at them, smiled and wished them good luck for the morning.

It was important that the wolves who hunted were full of energy, so they often found themselves congregated in the pack house dining hall the mornings that they ventured out. Renjun told Jaemin that he wanted to stop by the healing center first to speak to Ten for a bit, so he asked the alpha to save him some food and a spot. The healing center was only a stone’s throw away from the pack house, so Renjun knew he could be quick.

He had wanted to let Ten know about his conversation with his mother.

Renjun, after Jaemin had had his way, gushed about his day spent with his mother. About how well their conversation had gone, and both the alphas made sure to let him know how proud they were of him for taking initiative.

Fiddling with his thumbs, Renjun began to hum softly as he climbed the hill to see Ten. The cabin door was shut and as he did a small twirl before going to open it, he heard voices coming from inside.

Right away, Renjun assumed it was one of a handful of people. It could be Kun giving Ten some diagnosis, Sicheng saying hello, or one of Ten’s mates dropping by to make sure he was doing well. When the voice continued to rise in volume slightly and Renjun noticed the deep timbre to it, he immediately pegged it as being Johnny that was inside with him.

Wondering if Renjun should simply come back later in order to give the two their moment, not wanting to interrupt, a loud grunt of frustration sounded from inside. Soft whispering and maybe some shushing followed before Johnny spoke up in a thunderous voice.

“How could you not tell us? How, Ten, how? Did you just expect us to never find out?”

“Of course not, Johnny. That’s why I’m telling you now. I just… I needed time to process.”

“But we’re your mates! This is…this is just,” Johnny’s words got cut off with a hiccupping sob.

“Hey, hey, hey, shh, shh, it’s okay, love. Really, Johnny. Hey, look at me. It’s okay, hm? Things will be okay.”

“But your job, the entire practice you created with the pups. Your love for hunting? How will you even get back to our cabin, Ten…”

“Well, get ready to do a lot of heavy lifting, I guess,” Ten chuckled half-heartedly making Renjun frown. He didn’t understand how Ten could continue to seem so calm about what Kun had said.

“But, there’s still a chance, right?” Johnny asked hopefully, his voice watery.

“Johnny… Kun said maybe, but… but I think it’s best that we simply don’t get our hopes up. Oh, Johnny, my love, don’t cry.”

Renjun stood just outside of the door, his head hung in shame and sorrow. He shouldn’t have eavesdropped on their conversation, and he definitely should have already left by now to give them their space.

“W-What are we going to tell Yongie? You know he out of everyone has been the most excited for your recovery, and when you were out he…”

“I know. That’s what I’m most worried about. That’s part of the reason why I’m telling you now, so that when Taeyong gets back from the hunt, we can let him know.”

“Alright… You know I love you, Ten.”

“I love you, too.”

Turning on his heel, Renjun began to slowly drag his way to the pack house. He hoped that he wouldn’t encounter Taeyong on the hunt. That they would end up being split off into two different directions because he wasn’t sure if he would be able to keep focus.

The tone with which Johnny had spoken, Renjun had never heard from the alpha before. It sounded so broken and sorrowful. Given the situation, of course he would be heartbroken.

Shaking his head to clear his mind as he approached the pack house, Renjun let out a deep sigh. He had to make sure his head was on straight before they left to go hunting. It wasn’t something to take lightly, and depending on what they ran into out there, it could end up being very dangerous.

Once inside, Renjun padded over to Jaemin who was looking up at him with bright, sparkling eyes. Plopping down next to him, Renjun quickly grabbed the plate that Jaemin had made for him and began to eat.

“How’s Ten?” Renjun finished his bite and swallowed before turning to face the other, a small, fake smile on his face.

“I didn’t get to say hi because he was with Johnny. Didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Ah,” Jaemin nodded, turning back to face his food and shoveling a rather large bite into his mouth. “Well, maybe you can stop by when we get back.”

“Yeah. Definitely.”

Renjun deemed himself blessed by the Goddess when he got split off into a separate group where Taeyong was not. He hadn’t even been able to make eye contact with the other omega earlier when he had said hi to Renjun. So, he couldn’t imagine what a hunt would be like.

Pressing his snout to the ground, Renjun took several small whiffs trying to pick up any sign of a scent. The main group, the one Jaemin and Taeyong were a part of, went after a trail that one of the patrollers had picked up earlier that morning. They were thinking that it was a bear, and although Renjun felt left out, he understood why he was sent off the other way. He still couldn’t mind link with the other hunters, anyways.

His amber fur ruffled a bit in the morning breeze, and Renjun used it to see if there were any animals nearby. The wind was clean of scent, only carrying the smallest amount of wolf pheromones.

Huffing in frustration, Renjun began to paw at the ground. His claws dug into the dirt next to a tree as boredom set in. Last time he had hunted had been so eventful; in fact, that day as a whole had been nothing less than insane.

But, today Renjun was bored.

He was out doing what he had dreamt of for so many years, and he was bored.

Their trotting about hadn’t gone to waste considering a couple of rabbits had been caught, but that was nowhere near enough to feed this pack. And, above all, that’s what he truly wanted. To help feed the pack.

His pack.

Maybe.

He was still working that out, among other things as well.

One of the wolves in his group with a lighter colored coat nosed at him, trying to signal to follow. Renjun’s eyes lit up at the prospect of the wolf having caught onto something, so he quickly raced after the rest to join.

The light wolf yipped before yanking its head towards the right. When Renjun put his snout back down into the ground, his head tilted to the side before he yipped back. There was definitely a scent there. It didn’t smell like rabbit or deer, so Renjun hoped it was something worth their while.

Turning back to face the other wolves, Renjun’s tongue fell out of his mouth as he panted in excitement. When the light wolf yipped once more, they all began to run in the direction that Renjun did.

It was well known, since the deer incident, that Renjun was not only fast but very good at detecting smells. So, he was quickly put to the front to lead the group to whatever animal this may be.

They were all low to the ground, rushing between the bushes and leaves. Wind whipped past Renjun, ruffling the fur on his face as his eyes narrowed in determination.

The scent continued to get stronger, and became quite easy to follow. The small pack slowed down when it turned into a straightforward trail. Whatever this animal was, it must be confident to not even try and mask its trail or weave its scent in a difficult pattern.

It seemed as if the other wolves felt the same way when they began to shoot one another short warning glances. Renjun wasn’t worried, he knew that whatever it was, the group of four wolves could take it. But, it might have the element of surprise which was the only thing he could foresee as a problem.

With the way they exchanged looks, Renjun figured that they were all mind linking one another. Sitting down, Renjun waited until they had come to whatever decision it may be before the light wolf turned to him and shifted quickly.

“Renjun. We’ve decided that we’re not going to go forward anymore. None of us recognize this scent, and we think it might be some kind of wild cat. So, we’re alerting the closest team to come and help us.” Snorting out a breath, Renjun quickly shifted as well.

“But, if we wait too long, we could lose it. Just, let me go forward and scope it out. I swear if the scent gets too strong or I see the smallest thing, I’ll come running back.”

“Renjun.”

“Yes?” He felt bad, seeing as he didn’t even know the wolf’s name, but he also knew that the last time someone put him in charge they had come home with the most meat the pack had had in weeks.

“It’s not safe.”

“I swear I won’t go farther than necessary. You said backup is on the way, right?” The wolf’s long white hair flipped as he turned his head to face one of the other wolves who stared at him for a moment.

“Yes, they reached out to them. They’re on the way.”

“Then let me go. We can’t lose this. We’ve barely caught anything, and our pack will be hungry.” He saw the other’s eyes light aflame for a second before simmering back down to their normal brown color.

“Okay. But swear to me if you see whatever it may be, you’ll come running back.”

“I swear.”

With that, Renjun turned and leaped, shifting into his amber wolf midair. When his paws landed on the ground, he wasted no time in bolting off. The scent had already begun to fade and grow thinner, and Renjun refused to allow it to escape him entirely.

He bolted through the forest, staying close to the ground and darting in and out of the foliage for cover. Passing by a small stream, Renjun hopped in it for a moment to dilute his scent, trying to hide himself from whatever creature this may be.

As he continued to run, Renjun felt like he had been imagining the scent and that it never existed in the first place. Each time he felt as if he grew closer, the trail would thin out and break off leading him even further into the woods.

Darting around a rather large tree, Renjun paused for a moment to sniff the bark, detecting another smell that he couldn’t quite place. It seemed vaguely familiar, and Renjun wondered if there were also deer somewhere near here. It was times like this he really wished he could mind link the other wolves, so that he could tell them these things.

Stretching his back out, Renjun began to run again. He knew he was much farther ahead than the other wolf had probably expected him to go, but Renjun also knew he was still keeping his promise. He hadn’t seen even the slightest of things that seemed like a warning sign, and he definitely hadn’t spotted any type of wild cat.

Pure stubbornness and pride to bring back something as good as last time is what continued to propel Renjun forward.

The trees had become thicker, the bushes fuller, and the ground was littered with foliage making it hard to run. Renjun was careful to not snag his foot onto any of the vines that coated the floor, not wanting to trip and make himself vulnerable.

After another five minutes of running, Renjun slowed down his chest puffing in and out as he tried to catch his breath. The scent had begun to change the past minute or so, and Renjun was beginning to grow wary.

Whereas the smell was sharp and lively before, it seemed pungent and sour now. It had become significantly strong, and Renjun was pretty sure that he was decently close now, but he was worried that it was something much different than what they had thought it might be.

Wandering forward timidly, Renjun noticed how sharp peaks of mountain seemed to jut out from across the treetops. He wondered if they were as close as they seemed to be, and if so just how far he had gone.

After simply meandering for another minute or so, Renjun decided that he should turn back. He was probably much further gone than any of them had expected him to go, and it would probably only be a few moments until they began to worry. Which is the last thing he wanted them to do.

Turning slightly to his left, Renjun picked up the scent once more, but this time it was so strong that he felt as if it was right on top of him. His ears perked up, swiveling to try and find even the smallest of noises that would indicate a predator. When he couldn’t hear a thing besides the ruffling of leaves, he decided that checking one more place would be okay. Renjun had already been gone for so long, if he had the option to not go back empty handed, he would take it.

Since the scent was so strong, it took Renjun a minute to locate just exactly where it was coming from. The wind had been blowing it directly into his face. So, crouching down to remain stealthy, he began to walk against the soft breeze.

It couldn’t have been more than thirty feet before Renjun came to a stop. The animal had to be so close due to just how strong of a scent Renjun was picking up, but where he had come to a stop seemed completely bare. It wasn’t exactly a glade, but there was a break in the trees. A small patch of grass and bushes sprouted upwards with the treetops having parted slightly to let the sun in, illuminating the area. 

Renjun padded around the edge of the trees, trying to see if he could spot the animal. Once he had made three passes around the small circle, Renjun shook his head in frustration, a low growl snarling out of his mouth.

He had come this far, was so utterly sure of himself, and for what? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Renjun flopped over onto the ground, and wallowed in self pity for a moment. On his back, Renjun could see just how cute of a spot this was, though. The way the leaves branched out above him like a canopy. Creating a spotted pattern of shadows across his fur.

Lolling his head to the other side, Renjun began to stand up, readying himself for the embarrassment that would come with returning empty handed.

However, when his eyes raked down the opposite side of the trees, his entire body froze in shock.

His blood began to run cold as he quickly scrambled to his feet, crouching low in a fighting position with his eyes whipping around him trying to spot even the smallest rustle of leaves.

Above him on the opposite side of him where the trees were the tallest, hung the carcass of an animal. It was strung up across one of the branches of the tree, much too high for any regular predator to find it.

It seemed to be mostly skinned, and as Renjun tried to place just exactly what it was, a loud rustling noise came from his side. He could tell whatever was approaching was approaching _fast._ Muscles locking up in fear, Renjun pivoted himself to prepare for whatever head-on attack was coming his way. Renjun spared himself a few seconds to scold his own pride for putting him in this situation before the tree line was broken by the assailant.

A petite, sandy blonde wolf jumped into the middle of the clearing before huffing and quickly shifting. The wolf dissolved into the image of someone Renjun was more than familiar with and he automatically hung his head in shame.

Taeyong put his hands on his hips before darting his eyes around the area. Deeming themselves safe enough, he turned a stern yet somehow motherly gaze back onto the other omega.

“Renjun? Shift, please.”

Letting his wolf dissolve away, Renjun stood with his eyes glued to the forest floor and his hands folded politely across his body. His cheeks had begun to heat up in embarrassment, and he couldn’t find it in himself to look up at Taeyong.

“Care to explain why you decided to run almost forty minutes away from your other pack?” Renjun’s head snapped up at that.

“Forty... Forty minutes? There’s no way! I would never stray that far-“

“You forget how fast you are sometimes, Renjun. I may not be Ten, but I like to think I’m pretty fast as well,” a soft smile coated Taeyong’s face as guilt pooled low in Renjun’s gut. “Well, find anything?”

“Yeah. About that,” Renjun hesitantly pointed upwards to where the dead animal hung limp from the tree, its menacing aura sending shivers up his spine.

“What is that?”

“No idea. The scent changed awhile back into something more… pungent? And then the next thing I knew, I was practically on top of it. And… I just couldn’t go home empty handed, Taeyong.”

“I understand, Renjun. Really, I do. But you coming home empty handed is much better than going home with meat, but injured. I know that your intentions are pure, but-“

A whizzing sound ricocheted across the clearing as a small object cut through the air towards Taeyong. With his quick reflexes, he dropped to the ground just in time to see some sort of sharp looking stone wedged into the tree below where the carcass hung.

A very familiar looking man stepped out from behind Renjun who was accompanied by two white wolves on either side of him. His hair was cropped short and stark white while his body was tall and his shoulders large.

“Well, well, well, little omega we meet again. I could have sworn that the last time I saw you some other bitch omega you were with said that I would start a turf war if I stepped onto your land, and yet,” the other gestured vaguely as his arms spread wide and a cynical smile took over his face, “here you are.” A low _fuck_ could be heard underneath Taeyong’s breath just over the sound of Renjun’s own heart beating loudly in his ears.

It had clicked.

This had been the alpha he fought off in the woods so long ago; the alpha that had chased him while he was in heat. And now Renjun had crossed into their territory… which meant…

“You know, I’m grateful that my men caught that mountain lion earlier this morning. We had strung it up there to lure in more prey,” he cocked his head to the side, an evil glint in his eyes. “But, I suppose you two will do.”

_Jaemin. Help._

Renjun wasn’t sure if he was too far away for the alpha to hear, but he was hoping with every inch of his being that Jaemin would get his message. Taeyong stood strongly next to him, but even Renjun could tell that he was drowning in worry.

Renjun couldn’t quite remember what exactly the punishment of crossing into one’s territory unannounced was, but, unfortunately, he was pretty sure starting a turf war was just the tip of the iceberg.

“So, will you two be coming with us quietly? Or do we have to make a mess of your pretty faces?” Taeyong growled lowly at his remark.

“Myungshin, you forget your place. You’re not the head alpha,” Taeyong obviously struck a chord with the way the alpha’s pheromones began to ooze hatred. “This was obviously a mistake and we have brought no damage to any of your property. So, think wisely before you make your next move.” Myungshin scoffed before rolling his eyes.

“Such sensible words. Don’t act as if you’re unaware of what has been going on between our packs,” the alpha strode closer to the two, stalking around them slowly as his eyes raked over their bodies. “I’ve smelled your scent, omega, several times along our borders. You know that tensions have been rising, and it only needed the smallest of pressure to tip the scale.”

His teeth were crooked and sharp as he sneered right next to Taeyong, leaning down to whisper into his face.

“And darling. You’ve tipped the scale.”

Taeyong whipped his arm out to the side, his hand balled into a fist that smashed directly into Myungshin’s face. The alpha reeled back before Taeyong dropped low and kicked harshly behind his leg to make him lose his balance. The two white wolves that had accompanied Myungshin began to advance, not waiting a single second before launching themselves at Renjun.

Renjun dipped and swerved, narrowly avoiding the second wolf’s attack as he rolled to the ground. Chancing a glance over, Renjun saw Taeyong and Myungshin in a close hand to hand combat fight. Taeyong turned his head and made eye contact with Renjun before closing his eyes and breathing out steadily.

“Run, Renjun!” He shouted once his eyes had popped back open. Renjun, in his shock, didn’t see one of the wolves lunge at him as they took him into their mouth and bit down. Renjun could feel the teeth puncture his arm and his side as he cried out in pain. Twisting his body, Renjun jabbed directly into the wolf’s eye making them yelp out in pain as it burst and release Renjun from their hold.

Renjun quickly shifted into his wolf before snapping out and biting directly into the other that had bit him. As Renjun began to thrash his head back and forth with the wolf still in his mouth, he couldn’t help but to feel satisfied.

 _Well you know what they say. An eye for an eye._ Renjun thought to himself.

Once the wolf was limping, seconds away from collapsing, Renjun was tackled down onto the ground and immediately pinned onto his stomach by the second wolf. The much larger wolf used his massive paws to press Renjun into the dirt by the back of his neck and his face. Squirming with his back legs, Renjun tried to kick at the other wolf to no avail as he continued to be smothered into the ground.

With his head on the ground, Renjun blinked trying to focus his sight onto Taeyong. He and Myungshin were still going at it, and it seemed as if they were equally matched. Renjun knew that Taeyong could beat him, and was about to start cheering for him before he saw the wolf he had bitten earlier stalking up behind Taeyong.

The scene was so dreadfully familiar that Renjun’s blood ran cold. He could practically see Ten’s back facing the wolf with their claws out ready to be ripped to shreds. But this time, Renjun would be fast enough.

Bucking his hips up, Renjun shook the wolf loose before rolling them both onto their sides. Sticking his claws out, Renjun raked them down the underside of his soft belly splitting the skin open as blood gushed forth. The wolf howled in agony as Renjun scrambled to stand up and sprinted at the white wolf that was closing in.

Thankfully, Renjun had damaged the wolf’s leg earlier, so he was moving slowly, and when Renjun took off into the air, he crashed right into the white wolf’s side. The sharp yelp from behind Taeyong made him whip his head around and distracted him for a moment. Myungshin took this to his advantage and grasped Taeyong by the hair harshly before twisting his arm behind his back, close to breaking it, and popping it out of its socket. Taeyong screamed in pain and frustration as he tried every possible way to pull away from the other, but to no avail.

“Stop!” Myungshin shouted right as Renjun pinned the other wolf, snarling with his teeth on display and ready for the kill. “Leave him alone or I kill your omega friend.” Renjun could feel his heart stop as he turned wide and scared eyes to Taeyong. Myungshin twisted his arm more, making Taeyong shout out at the pressure and pain.

Quickly shifting back, Renjun scrambled from on top of the wolf that lay bleeding and broken beneath him, holding his hands up in surrender. Myungshin smiled sinisterly as he relaxed some of the pressure on Taeyong’s arm.

“See, now that wasn’t too hard! Well, i assume you both know the rules, or are you too dumb to understand what you’ve just started? You even initiated a fight with us on our own grounds. Chose to do it the hard way, I see.” The alpha sneered before his gaze dropped down to smirk at Taeyong. Right as Myungshin bent his head down to scent Taeyong, Renjun saw red.

He moved faster than he ever thought was possible, immediately grabbing the alpha’s wrist to turn it over his own head in order to free Taeyong. Bending Myungshin’s wrist back harshly, Taeyong fell down onto the ground, holding his arm limply as Renjun shifted his feet backwards and thought of Ten.

Several weeks ago Ten and Renjun had been joking about how small they were, even how their wolf’s were petite.

“But, it’s easy to use to our advantage,” Ten smirked as Renjun rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, I know, I know. I’m fast.”

“No,” Ten’s eyes glinted with mischief as he turned into a fighting stance and faced Renjun. “Let me show you something.”

Renjun planted his feet deep into the dirt, and bent his chest inwards, taking Myungshin’s wrist with him to knock the alpha off balance. Right as they both began to shift, Renjun turned his feet once more in order to put all the pressure and weight atop Myungshin, sending him spiraling to the ground. Renjun quickly climbed atop his back, hooking his arms underneath the other’s and hoisting him up backwards to put him in a headlock.

“Go, Taeyong!”

“No, I’m not leaving you!” Renjun’s eyes darted around as Myungshin continued to grapple at Renjun’s hold. The two white wolves, although weak, were beginning to come back to their senses and he knew Taeyong only had a few moments before they would both be goners.

“You have to! It’s better just one of us than us both! Please!”

“No! They have to take me then!” Renjun’s arms began to weaken as Myungshin used his brute strength to try and pry himself out. He knew he had to think fast, and it only took a moment before Renjun looked up and locked his eyes dead onto Taeyong's, steely resolve sparking a fire inside of him.

“Think of Ten, Taeyong. He needs you.” Taeyong’s face faltered slightly, as he stumbled back a couple steps. Renjun knew that this might be a bit of a low blow to get Taeyong to leave, but it was necessary if one of them wanted to get out of there alive. Ten, Taeyong, and Johnny had been through enough; they didn’t need to lose a mate as well.

“But… Renjun,” Taeyong’s voice choked up slightly, but he saw the omega continue to walk backwards to the tree line. Renjun simply nodded his head in encouragement.

“Go, Taeyong! Think of Ten! You just got him back. Go to him!” Taeyong’s eyes whipped around once more as his lips began to tremble before he nodded an ‘okay’ to Renjun and turned on his heel, shifting into his pretty blonde wolf and darting off into the forest.

Renjun let out a sigh of relief as he continued to hold the alpha as well as he could. His arms were shaking with the effort it took, but he knew he needed to give Taeyong as much time as possible to get off of their land.

After about a minute though, Renjun’s muscles faltered and Myungshin easily took over him, flipping them to bury his face into the soil, filling Renjun’s mouth with dirt.

“Stupid fucking omega,” Myungshin spit as he ground Renjun’s face harder in the earth. “You’re going to regret that. But, at least I got you. I still have to pay you back for what you did last time.”

Shivers of horror and regret wracked through Renjun’s body as he allowed himself to go limp. He knew he was in for a hell of a ride, but he hoped whatever it may be that he would, at the very least, make it out to the other side.

He knew that Jaemin and Jeno would never let this stand, and he knew how strong their pack was. They could do it. They would do it.

If this was a war, they’d win.

A sharp punch was delivered squarely to the back of Renjun’s head making him bang into the ground hard and sent his vision spinning. He wasn’t able to grasp onto reality, the pain too overwhelming, and his body sent him into darkness. The last thing he remembered was his center of gravity shifting into the air and then nothingness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ha ha... ha


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello it's been awhile
> 
> I asked on twitter if a short chapter posted today or a long chapter posted in several more days was preferred, and it seemed pretty split, so I decided to post the short one. But do not worry, if all goes according to plan, the next chapter will be very long.

Waking up was hell.

Head throbbing, Renjun blinked the unconsciousness out of his eyes. Sharp stinging pains from cuts across his body were drowned out by the intense ache through his skull.

Groaning, Renjun tentatively rose from the rough, chilly ground beneath him shifting to sit. It seemed as if he was deep inside some cave or perhaps a mountain. Jagged walls surrounded him with a wide opening leading to Goddess knows where. Somewhere the sound of the walls dripping echoed down to Renjun.

With his knees shaking, Renjun hoisted himself to stand. His body was stiff not only from fighting but also from laying on the hard, uneven floor for what he assumed was quite a long time. The chill of the cave had settled into his bones, and it was impossible to hold in the occasional shiver that wracked through his body.

Renjun snuck his way to the open mouth of the cave to see it curve right with only more rocks and stone walls in sight. Curiosity striking him, Renjun wondered... They wouldn’t leave him alone in a random cave, would they? If he was a prisoner?

Deciding to take the risk, Renjun took two timid steps forward before the soft padding of feet reverberated down the tunnel. Sucking in a deep breath between his teeth, Renjun snuck back into the small cave and tucked himself as far around the corner as he could, ready to pounce.

Rolling his neck to try and shake some of the stiffness off, Renjun hung in suspense as the footsteps came closer and closer. He had begun to bounce lightly on the balls of his feet right when it seemed that the intruder would round the corner.

Renjun barely even saw the smallest sliver of a person before he was pouncing and the two began to roll on the ground. The other wolf yelped in surprise and was easily taken down by Renjun even with his injuries. It didn’t take more than a handful of seconds to have the other pinned beneath him, pressing his face into the floor harshly.

“Where the fuck am I?” Renjun spit out while the other whimpered from the hold Renjun had him in.

“T-The White pack! Please let me go, I’m not here to hurt you!” Soft whines broke from the other’s lips, and Renjun was struck with the strangeness of the situation. Why wouldn’t they send one of their strong guards to check on him? Snarling at the way they must have underestimated him, Renjun twisted the wolf’s arm harder causing him to cry softly.

“What is going on? Who the fuck are you? And, how the hell do I get out of here?”

“Please! I’ve been the one helping with your wounds. I was just trying to bring you a fur because I figured you were cold! I’m an omega, I can’t do anything anyways!” Renjun stared down at the strange boy who couldn’t have been much older than himself. Floppy black hair covered his eyes while he pouted.

“Helping? With my…?”

“Yes! The bandage on the back of your head is from me!” _Bandage?_

Letting the other’s arms go, Renjun reached up to gently prod at his head. There was, in fact, some kind of cloth there wrapped around his head to cover the wound. Furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, Renjun realized just exactly what the other had said.

“What does it matter if you’re an omega or not?” Sighing in relief at the release of pressure on his arms, the other rested against the ground as Renjun still sat atop him, keeping him in place.

“Well, omegas are weak. We can’t do anything,” he spoke in a monotonous voice, as if it was a line he had been fed over and over again.

“Then how do you explain how I attacked and pinned you so easily?” Whining, the other boy blew an exasperated breath out of his mouth.

“I don’t know, okay? I’m weak?”

“Only if you choose to be,” Renjun carefully moved off of the other’s back to sit next to him instead.

“That’s not what we’re taught here,” sitting back up, the other grabbed the large fur that had been thrown to the ground in all of the commotion. “Anyways, how are you feeling?”

“You sure are friendly for someone who kidnapped me,” Renjun narrowed his eyes in suspicion as the other wolf pulled a strange looking confused face.

“I’m an _omega_. You really think I was the one who kidnapped you?”

“Okay. What is with you and this 'omegas can’t do anything' complex?” Renjun was instantly reminded of himself in his old pack and how he had been treated once presenting.

“That’s just- That’s how it is. Omegas get pregnant and serve and alphas do everything else… unless of course you’re a boy omega. Then you’re lower than the low,” tilting his head, he eyed Renjun up and down. “I figured you would understand that. You’re definitely not the first boy omega who has ended up here. And, I doubt you’ll be the last.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Staring down at his hands uncomfortably, the other let out a stuttered sigh.

“They take omegas all the time here,” he shrugged nonchalantly. “I figured that’s why you were here.” Renjun shook his head adamantly.

“No, I’m here because I kicked your second-in-command’s ass twice and he hates me.” Spitting, the other’s eyes widened comically before he let out loud laughter. Renjun couldn’t help but to notice just how big the other’s mouth was. “What’s so funny?”

“Man. I hate him. If you’re being serious, thank you,” he smiled widely before sticking a hand out. “I’m Guanheng! You can also call me Hendery if that’s too hard for you to say. Most of the alphas do.” He shrugged before Renjun reached out to take his hand.

“I’m Renjun. And I wasn’t just taken because I’m an omega. I might have accidentally started a turf war?” Cringing, Renjun tried to gauge Guanheng’s blank expression. They stared at each other in silence before the other began to burst out laughing once more.

“Oh my Goddess. I love you already, Renjun. You’re so cool. We’re definitely going to get along!” Renjun’s smile melted into a small frown.

“Well, I don’t plan on being here for very long.”

“What do you mean? You actually think you can leave?”

“I have a feeling there’s a couple of people back at my pack that will make sure I don’t stay here.”

Guanheng spent as long as he could with Renjun, simply hanging on his every word. Renjun saw so much of himself in the other omega and how he used to be. When he told Guanheng that he pinned the pack alpha’s son before he ever even got any real training, the other almost had a bug fly into his mouth from keeping it open in shock for so long.

In exchange for his stories, Guanheng told Renjun a bit about their pack and about where he was being kept. Guanheng himself had to pass several bouts of guards with a few twists and turns to even reach Renjun. But, he wasn’t surprised.

It was easy to see why they simply left him alone deep in the cave somewhere in the mountains of their pack if he was being so well guarded on the outside.

With a sorrowful goodbye, Guanheng promised Renjun that he would visit as soon as he possibly could and would try and bring another fur and hopefully some herbs that would lessen his pain that he could eat. Guanheng said that he would try and sneak in some food for him, but when he mentioned to Renjun that it was punishable by death, he quickly declined.

Renjun was in awe that simply feeding a ‘prisoner’ was grounds to be executed in this pack. However, he had taken quite a liking to Guanheng and Renjun was fine going hungry if it meant that he was safe.

Things got boring fast after Renjun was left alone to stew in his thoughts. Plotting what would be a good way to break out, wondering if maybe he could sneak his way down and see just exactly how many people were watching him, and above all else… thoughts of missing Jeno and Jaemin.

The morning that Renjun had been taken—which Guanheng informed him was two days ago—Renjun had given Jeno nothing more than a quick goodbye as he and Jaemin left for the hunt. He hadn’t even gotten to speak to Ten, and Jaemin had left with his group before Renjun had even finished his breakfast.

His heart ached at the thought of how they were doing.

He hoped that they weren’t beating themselves up over anything, and he definitely hoped that Taeyong wasn’t feeling guilty for leaving. It was only right after seeing just how much the three of them had gone through.

Sure, Renjun’s stay in the new pack hadn’t exactly been easy, but he, Jaemin, and Jeno were happy and healthy.

When it came to his actions that day, making sure Taeyong was able to escape was the only thing he didn’t regret.

With no way to see the outside, Renjun had no clue just how much time was passing. The minutes bled into hours bled into days. He was unsure if it had been thirty minutes since Guanheng had left him or three days. Renjun simply slept when he was tired, thought himself into a hole while he was awake, and if he was hungry? …then he slept more.

When Renjun finally heard the sound of footsteps once more after Goddess knows how long, his whole demeanor picked up. The constant furrow in his brow softened, and he had to stifle a giggle as he went to hide behind the curve of the cave to surprise Guanheng like how he had last time.

As the steps grew closer, Renjun jumped out exclaiming a loud ‘boo!’ in hopes to scare the other omega. But, instead of seeing Guanheng, Renjun came face to face with the evil second-in-command who had captured him. He was sneering down at Renjun as two other people flanked him on either side.

Renjun’s face immediately pulled down into a scowl as he lunged out at Myungshin, who easily dodged the attack before pulling Renjun’s arms behind him and twisting them upwards. Renjun let out a pained sound, his chest heaving at the strain in his arms while his head dropped to stare at the ground.

“And here I thought I would pay you a pleasant visit,” Myungshin grunted out before turning Renjun arms further and making him cry out. “And this is how you greet me? Even though I brought you food?”

With a jerk of his head, the alpha signaled one of his lackeys to throw whatever bowl of mush they had brought. It clattered loudly against the cave wall, the wooden bowl splintering before him as the unappetizing gruel splattered to the ground.

“Oh no,” the alpha stated sarcastically. “Looks like they accidentally dropped your food. Pity.”

“You’re an asshole,” Renjun wheezed out, only to be twisted around and thrown onto the ground.

“And you’re a prisoner. My prisoner,” his face was pulled up into an evil smile. “You’re lucky that our pack alpha demands a trial before execution. Not that I think you’ll survive it either way, but I wish I could kill you already. Waiting to rip you apart is a real pain in my ass.”

“Well you better hope they have me tied up because if it’s a battle to the death, you know I’ll beat you.” Renjun spit out from where he lay crumpled on the floor. The alpha smirked before shooting his eyes around the room and nodding.

“Ah, yes. A starved omega beating an alpha. Very likely.”

“Your cockiness will be your downfall. I suggest you look at me as a serious opponent.” Renjun raised his chin in defiance before Myungshin marched over and yanked him up by his shirt. Renjun’s feet were barely scraping the ground as he grappled to hang on to the alpha’s grip on his shirt.

“You know what will be your downfall, omega?” Myungshin snarled directly into Renjun’s face making him recoil at the closeness. “Your stupid fucking mouth. _Your_ stupid fucking cockiness.”

Renjun continued to grasp at Myungshin’s wrists, turning his head to get as far away from the other’s face. The alpha’s heavy, disgusting breathing made Renjun’s stomach curl in anger as he wanted nothing more than to be able to punch the shit out of him.

Since his hands were busy, Renjun decided on the next best option.

Swinging his foot out directly in between Myungshin’s legs, Renjun nailed him right in the crotch with a powerful kick. The alpha howled in pain, letting go of Renjun’s shirt and dropping him right away. Turning to make a run for it, Renjun powered through his body’s complaints as he turned left and right to dodge one of the guards in the room.

With his lack of nutrition and still healing wounds though, Renjun could only get so far before he was tackled from behind, causing him to fall forward onto his face, his arms not coming up fast enough in time to catch himself.

“Fucking bitch!” He heard Myungshin bellow from behind him in the small cave as he walked around to Renjun’s front to stare down at him. His face was beet red, and if it was possible, Renjun was sure that smoke would be billowing out of his ears.

Myungshin brought his foot up and placed it squarely on the crook of Renjun’s neck before pressing down. The air was squeezed from Renjun’s body as the blood flow to his brain slowed down considerably. Scrambling for purchase, Renjun clung to Myungshin’s ankle to try and pry it off of his throat to no avail.

Leaning down, Myungshin stared into Renjun’s eyes before spitting directly next to his head.

“I’ll remember this.”

The alpha pressed his foot down harder and Renjun could feel his face grow hot, this throat straining to grasp even the smallest of breaths. Everything was feeling heavy and his muscles were taught.

“Sir, Pack Alpha wants to speak to you.” A polite voice sounded from behind Myungshin. Renjun tried to see who it was, but with his vision beginning to fade, he could barely focus.

“Oh great, another fucking omega.” The pressure suddenly lifted from his neck and Renjun gasped in a large breath. “What the hell does he want now?”

“I’m not sure, sir. I was simply sent by one of the pack warriors to fetch you.” Peeking up beneath his hair as he splayed across the frigid earth, Renjun spotted Guanheng in a deep bow, unmoving.

“Fine.” Myungshin huffed before snapping to signal to the other two guards with him to follow. “You’re lucky this time, omega. You won’t be next time. And that’s a promise.”

Renjun heard Myungshin call out from somewhere above him as footsteps continued to echo down the hallway. As they grew smaller and smaller, Renjun continued to focus on Guanheng and the way he continued to bow in their direction until they were finally out of sight.

Bolting upright, Guanheng ran to Renjun to help him sit up before he began to examine his neck. Handling him gently, Renjun relaxed into the other omega’s touch, and let him maneuver him into a more comfortable position, resting against his chest in his lap. 

“Here,” Guanheng whispered after grabbing something from a small satchel that was slung across his shoulder. It looked to be a few small leaves, and Guanheng quickly shifted himself so that he could help Renjun swallow them. “This will help with the pain.”

Renjun was embarrassed by how long it took him to finally get the medicine down, his throat completely ruined. And when he finally downed them, he felt his eyes grow watery.

“Thank you.” Guanheng shook his head vehemently.

“No, don’t thank me. I’m so sorry this is happening to you.” Renjun tried to choke down his tears as he turned his head upwards.

“This is fucking horrible,” Renjun’s voice came out scratchy and thick as Guanheng began to stroke his way through Renjun’s hair.

“I know. I’m so sorry.”

_Jaemin? Jeno? Please hurry._


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so all DIDN'T go according to plan, and I needed one more small chapter before I can deliver the long (and probably very awaited) one!

If Renjun had felt grateful for Guanheng before, he owed him his life at this point. The other omega, once he realized that they truly had no intention of feeding Renjun, had begun to sneak him small portions of food. A few fruits here, some bread there, and although Renjun insisted that Guanheng stop, he couldn’t find it in himself to truly berate the other. Because fuck if Renjun wasn’t hungry. 

With Guanheng tending to his wounds, his cuts had healed nicely, and his head healed well. When Renjun woke up one day to the pounding in his head completely gone, he almost cried out of relief. 

Guanheng was also the only way that Renjun could keep track of the passing time. The lack of sunlight was truly starting to get to him, and the stagnant cave air seemed to cling to everything around him, including himself. 

When Renjun offhandedly mentioned how gross he felt one day, Hendery brought him a bucket of mountain spring water and a rag the next. When Renjun asked how he was able to get it past the guards, he simply shrugged him off.

“It was easier than you'd think. They just assumed I was coming to clean something,” Guanheng responded, setting the bucket down in the corner before joining Renjun on the ground. “Here.”

Guanheng opened his satchel before fishing out an apple and passing it to Renjun who took it greedily. Wasting no time, he bit into the ripe fruit before sighing and letting himself plop backwards onto the ground. 

“What am I supposed to do, Guanheng? I figured that by now… that something, _anything_ would have happened.” Shifting uncomfortably, Guanheng shot a quick look over his shoulder to the mouth of the cave before scooting closer.

“Renjun. Things are happening in the pack.” His timid tone had Renjun sitting up quickly, biting once more into the apple.

“What kind of things?”

“Intense unrest, honestly. From what I’ve heard, I’m a master eavesdropper by the way, Myungshin wants to challenge the pack Alpha because our Alpha doesn’t want to fight with your pack, and is trying to quell people’s anger at you trespassing.” 

“Wait, what?” Nodding, Guanheng scooted even closer to Renjun.

“Yeah. He doesn’t want to start a turf war or anything. He doesn’t even want to put you on trial! Our pack isn’t at its strongest right now, so he probably knows how big of a loss it would be. I’m pretty sure I heard some of the betas at breakfast talking about how ‘he’s going to give the omega back to the other pack’. Which, I think, means you!” Renjun’s mouth popped open in a gasp.

“Wait. I’m- wait. Really?” Guanheng nodded, a smile breaking out across his face. “You think they’ll just give me back? Wow, that would be amazing. I really thought there was going to be a lot more shit we’d all have to go through before I could ever leave this place.” Renjun shook his head in bewilderment before finishing off his apple. Guanheng took the apple core and slipped it back into his satchel before handing Renjun a small piece of dried beef.

“Yeah. That’s if Head Alpha can get Myungshin under control. He’s… He’s really livid, Renjun. Everyone, even his closest men, have been avoiding him. There’s basically a cloud of anger following him wherever he goes.” 

“Good. He deserves to live a miserable life.” Renjun spat in anger before taking a bite out of the jerky.

“I mean, I agree, but Renjun… this could be really bad.” 

“Hm, how so?” 

“Well, for starters, our pack Alpha is getting older. Myungshin could probably take him in a fight? So, if Myungshin defeats our Alpha, then-“

“Then he’d be pack Alpha.” Renjun finished his sentence, staring with wide eyes at a grave looking Guanheng.

“Yeah, but there’s also the possibility of him quelling Myungshin’s anger and you going home soon?” Renjun scoffed in irritation.

“So the two options are me being released back to my pack with no fighting between anyone, or your pack Alpha dying and Myungshin the asshole taking over?” Guanheng winced at Renjun’s bluntness.

“Yeah, basically.” 

“Great.” Renjun shoved the rest of the meat into his mouth, swallowing quickly before burying his head into his hands. “What should I do? Should I try and get out of here? Or should I just wait it out?”

“Renjun… I know you’re much stronger than me, but we’re still omegas. We can’t-“

“Stop saying we can’t!” Renjun snapped at Guanheng who looked properly scolded as his voice echoed throughout the small cavern. Swallowing deeply, Renjun let out a soft sigh before shaking his head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. It’s just what I’ve heard for so long, and it’s not true.” 

“Sorry.” They sat in silence, neither of them looking at the other, their eyes darting around awkwardly. 

“Would you want to come back to my pack with me, Guanheng?” The other’s head snapped up at that, his eyes wide.

“W-what?”

“If they let me go back, could you come with me? They don’t treat you right here. Guanheng, I think you’d really like my pack.”

“Renjun,” his eyes began to shine as his voice came out strained. “You know I can’t just leave. They won’t let me just up and switch packs.”

“But, maybe if you asked?” Guanheng shook his head sadly.

“No, that’s not how it works.” 

“Okay,” Renjun whispered.

They settled back into their quietness while the air stilled around them. Renjun couldn’t imagine living in this horrid pack, and with all Guanheng had done for him, he owed him his life. It was the least Renjun could do. Maybe, when he got back, he could ask Jaemin if his father knew a way to help Guanheng. 

Thinking of Jaemin brought back a sharp pang of longing in his chest. It had been almost a week since he had last seen either of his alpha’s, and the longer he spent apart from them the less like himself Renjun felt. 

It was like he was back in his old pack where he knew something was missing, where he knew he didn’t belong. There was an ever-present emptiness in his chest, making him feel hollow. 

“Well, I should get back now, Renjun.” Guanheng stood up before dusting his legs off and sending Renjun a sad smile. Returning it, Renjun turned to stare at the bucket of water he had brought him.

“Thank you again. For the food, and the water, and everything.”

“Of course. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Alright. Bye Guanheng.”

“Bye Renjun.” 

Listening to Guanheng’s footsteps grow farther and farther away always made a pang hit in his chest of sadness. It left Renjun even emptier than before, and he wasn’t sure if he was mentally ready to spend another Goddess knows how long alone. Letting the time simply drift by at a snail’s pace. 

Grunting as he stood, Renjun shuffled over to the water and picked up the cloth. He stripped himself of his shirt and began to clean himself as his mind wandered. The cool water on his skin made Renjun think of the pool in the forest near their pack where he had many fond memories. 

Sighing, he tried to reach out to either of his alphas once more. 

_Jaemin? Jeno?_

Nothing but silence came, and Renjun focused even harder, reaching out and trying to find the string that seemed to always be connecting them together.

_Jeno? …Jaemin? I miss you both so much._

Silence.

Dunking his head into the water, Renjun slung his head backwards, letting his hair flop back and the water dribble down his neck. Running his hands through the strands, Renjun squeezed the water from it before picking up his shirt and dunking it into the water to wash it.

 _Well, even if you guys can’t hear me, I’ll just update you both anyways._ Renjun smirked to himself, imagining what their responses might be. _I made a friend. Yes, I know. Making friends when you get kidnapped? A very strange thing to do._

_His name is Guanheng and he’s a male omega as well. He’s been taking care of me, making sure I have food and water. Even tending to my wounds. They treat omegas horribly here, and he feels like he can’t do anything. I would kill to see him meet Ten._

_Oh, by the way, how’s Ten doing? I hope Taeyong isn’t beating himself up too badly. He should know that it was my fault and I’m the one to blame for this mess._

_Wow, I really did just barge into both of your lives and create problem after problem._ Renjun snorted a chuckle to himself as he wrung his shirt out. It's a good thing you both love me, huh? Renjun’s hands froze, his face falling flat as he stared down at the soaking wet material of his top.

 _Do you both love me? I think I love you guys. There’s just something about not having either of you… it doesn’t feel right._

Unraveling his shirt, he placed it down onto one of the large rocks towards the back of the cave, stretching it out so that it could dry properly. Renjun felt stupid for not telling Jaemin and Jeno earlier how he actually felt. Of course, they knew he liked them, but his feelings had been stronger than that for awhile. 

It had been very different when it came to those two, and his attraction to them both hit him hard and fast. If Renjun was being honest with himself, he kind of thought they felt the same way about him too. Seeing their reaction to what had happened with Yukhei only confirmed it more. And Jaemin and Jeno spent every day making sure Renjun felt safe and welcome with the two of them, not left out one bit. Their communication had gotten better and—dammit why didn’t he say he loved them?

Renjun picked up the crumpled furs in the corner, making them into a small nest and curling inside of them. Once he was huddled up, he let out a deep sigh, reminiscing of being wrapped in his alpha’s arms instead. 

Renjun dreamt of them both.

He dreamt of Jaemin’s teasing looks and remarks. He dreamt of Jeno’s crinkling eyes and strong conviction. He dreamt of them both taking Renjun to be their mate with two bit marks on either side of his neck. 

In his dream, Jaemin was holding him. Jeno was facing them both, stroking the hair out of Renjun’s eyes before leaning down and kissing the juncture of his neck lovingly. A sharp pain followed by the feeling of finally being whole echoed throughout Renjun’s body. Jeno had bitten him, and Jaemin was now kissing on the other side of Renjun’s neck before biting him there as well. 

Both of the alphas clung to him with every fiber of their being, and when Renjun turned to face Jaemin, there were tears in his eyes. Renjun’s brow furrowed when he reached up to thumb over the droplets that had begun to drip from his eyes. 

_“What’s wrong, Jaem?”_

_“I miss you so much.”_

_“But, I’m right here.”_ Jeno softly grasped Renjun’s face, turning him forward once more. Their eyes locked and he saw Jeno looking almost just as emotional. A sharp, stabbing pain pulsed throughout Renjun’s chest right where his heart was. Reaching out he grasped onto Jeno for support who held him tight in his arms.

_“It hurts us, too. We miss you, Renjun.”_

_“Jeno?”_

_“Renjun,”_ Jeno’s soft lips came down and pecked across Renjun’s own, the feeling dull and ghosting, not something that he could grasp. Renjun squeezed Jeno’s arms, trying to cling to him harder as his dream began to slip away from him. 

_“No!”_ Renjun shouted, his cry breaking on a choked sob. The world around him began to blur as he felt a chill seep into his body. Whipping his head around, he could barely make out the outline of where Jaemin had been standing. 

_“No! Don’t leave me! Jaemin! Jeno!”_

“Renjun!” 

A piercing scream cut through the fog of the rest of his dream, jolting him awake. He began to shiver when he realized just how cold it had grown in the cave. Turning, Renjun grabbed his shirt quickly, slipping it on over his head right as Guanheng turned the corner, his face bright pink and his breathing heavy. 

“Guanheng?” Renjun asked through a daze, sleep still clinging to his eyes.

“Renjun!” A sob broke from his friend’s mouth, immediately alerting Renjun to the way Guanheng had been shaking. 

“W-What’s going on? What’s wrong? Guanheng?” Renjun could feel his heart on the verge of breaking from its cage within his chest. His blood rushed and pumped through his ears, blocking the majority of the sound around him.

“He-He did it! Myungshin! He killed the pack Alpha.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUHN DUHN DUHN! So, I got this chapter out so fast since it's so short, but it's very needed. This time I mean it when the next one will be back up to normal chapter length/ a bit longer. And, I'm sure you can all tell, but you should probably buckle in your seat belts for the ride I'm about to take you guys on.
> 
> [Twitter ](https://twitter.com/tenspetal)


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi this still isn't that long of a chapter but I decided I don't care 
> 
> ◕3◕

Renjun felt his already unstable world tilt on its axis. Attempting to stand, Renjun’s still sleep ridden body sank to its knees as Guanheng rushed forwards and hooked his hands underneath his arms to help him stand.

“Renjun, we have to get you out of here,” Guanheng’s voice cracked, his eyes full of pure terror. “This is it. If you don’t leave- if- he’ll-“

“Yeah. I’m dead,” Renjun blinked a few times before scoffing and shaking his head. Turning to the other omega, Renjun locked their gazes together. “What do we do?”

“Well, you’re strong, right? I can distract the two guards at the end of the hallway and, like, trip them or something while you take them out?” 

“Trip them?”

“I don’t know! I’m not the fighter here!” Guanheng grabbed Renjun’s small shoulders, shaking him lightly. “We have to go. _Now.”_

“Okay. Okay. Lead the way.”

Guanheng searched Renjun’s face for any sign of apprehension, but if he found it, he stayed silent. Grabbing his wrist harshly, Guanheng crowded Renjun against the wall before poking his head around the corner, surveying the area. After several tense moments, he motioned the other forward. Renjun followed behind him, sticking closely to his back.

The cave winded much farther down than Renjun had previously thought. All he had known was that there were guards at the end waiting for him. But, the maze Guanheng was taking him through was just as much of a deterrent to escape.

Crawling along at a snail’s pace, pausing in fear each time the smallest of noises were heard, Renjun and Guanheng finally made their way to the entrance. The cave mouth opened out into blinding light. Renjun’s eyes throbbed as they tried to adjust, unused to seeing the sunlight after how long he had spent trapped inside the mountain’s confines.

“Wait here. I’ll get their guard down for a second,” Guanheng whispered into Renjun’s ear before leaning back and nodding to himself. Renjun sent him a look of encouragement before the omega let out a shaky breath and headed towards the two warriors who blocked their exit.

Guanheng walked timidly, his head bowed lowly before he stopped and turned to the man on the left. Both guards caught sight of him at the same time and immediately shifted their stature into something haughtier, almost mocking.

“The pretty omega done already? How was he? Ready for his death day?” Dipping even lower into a bow, Guanheng shifted his weight uncomfortably.

“I’m sorry, sir, but since it’s his last day, would it be possible to give him a final meal?”

“Why?” The one guard Guanheng was facing huffed out in annoyance as the other shrugged.

“Why not? He’s dying either way.”

“You’re too soft,” he spit at his fellow warrior who then grunted in agitation. Guanheng began to shuffle backwards slightly, out of their way as they began to posture at one another.

“Soft? _Me_ , soft?” He scoffed as Renjun made eye contact with Guanheng, receiving a small nod.

When the two began to argue, their pheromones multiplying and stifling the air with their heavy scents, Renjun sprang forward and delivered the strongest jab with his elbow he possibly could into the back of one of their heads. The guard crumpled onto the ground right away before the other even had a chance to process what had happened.

Renjun dropped to the ground, bracing himself with his hands as he swept his leg out to trip the warrior. Plummeting to the earth, the other wolf growled and raised his hand to whistle and signal others who must have been close by.

Hopping up, Renjun delivered a harsh stomp on the warrior’s hand, a crunching sound ringing out. As the guard opened his mouth to scream, Renjun punched him directly in the face crushing his nose and effectively knocking him unconscious.

Stepping back to look at his handiwork, Renjun panted heavily. Guanheng’s mouth formed a small ‘o’ in shock, his body completely frozen as he stared down the other omega.

“Whoa. You’re fucking awesome.”

“You can fawn over me later, let’s go.” Nodding, Guanheng reached back to grab Renjun by the wrist once more. 

Guanheng turned them both towards a long sloping decline etched into the side of the mountain. Renjun couldn’t hold back his shivers at the temperature even though the sky was quite bright. Clouds blanketed everything above them, but the sun’s rays were so forceful that they broke through them, dousing their surroundings in light.

The chill in the air seeped through Renjun’s bones and the tiny hairs on the tips of his arms stood on end. There was dread in the air, and as Guanheng and he continued their descent, voices of loud jeering could be heard echoing up from the ground.

At their view, Renjun could spot a rather large gathering of pack members somewhere near what looked to be a giant tent. The hoard of people was moving back and forth as they stood next to a wide wooden stage with a strange contraption settled on top of it.

“What’s that?” Renjun leaned over, breathing heavily to question Guanheng.

“Those are our pillories. They’re places where they punish prisoners,” Guanheng swallowed deeply, his eyes darting frantically over Renjun’s face.

“Prisoners like me?” Renjun questioned as they rounded a large rock. Guanheng stopped them in their place, backing himself against the wall in order to peak around the edge.

They had descended almost the whole way to the ground now. The mountain arched high above them, its top littered with white. Jagged walls protruded against their backs and if Renjun focused hard enough, he could hear the sounds of guards further down from them. With the height they were still in the air, Renjun figured that they might be able to jump to the top of a tree. To possibly land on one, climb down, and make their escape.

Just as he was about to suggest this, Guanheng grasped his head and shoved Renjun down onto the ground. He quickly rounded the corner and lowered his eyes.

“What the fuck are you doing here, omega?”

“I’m sorry, sir. I seem to be lost. Can you help me?” The silence rang out between them; suspense hung in the air. Renjun held his breath as he situated himself as far into the crook of the boulder as he could.

“Help you, huh?” Gravel crunching sounded out as who Renjun presumed to be the guard, began to walk around Guanheng. “I think _you_ could help _me_.”

The tone of the man’s voice was vile and Renjun could feel his stomach begin to turn. He wasn’t sure of just how many men there were to face, but Renjun would rather hell freeze over than for one more wolf to speak to Guanheng that way.

Springing up from his hiding space, Renjun darted out and wrapped an arm around Guanheng moving him behind his own body. The guard, a foul smelling alpha, sneered in surprise before straightening his arm out in order to bring his fist down against the side of Renjun’s head harshly.

Pebbles rolled underneath Renjun’s feet as he ricocheted to the side, almost dangling on the edge of the mountain. Crouching down, Renjun easily dodged the man’s next attack before rolling onto his back to stare up at the man.

Bracing himself with his hands, Renjun intertwined their legs and turned his body on the ground to bring the alpha down to where the drop off of the pathway was. Kicking, with his leg’s grip still wrapped around the other’s limbs, Renjun retracted himself and turned quickly back towards the inside of the walkway as the alpha plummeted down through the treetops. The leaves rustled wildly as his body fell; a deep _THUD_ sounded out as he made contact with the harsh ground.

“Oh,” Guanheng breathed out, clutching his chest in shock.

“Should we-“ Renjun stopped his sentence to take in a shuddering breath, “go?”

“Y-Yeah,” Guanheng nodded distractedly, his eyes still focused on the snapped branches that the alpha’s body passed through. “Fuck, Renjun.”

“Yeah. Never fought this many alphas before,” Renjun retorted, clambering down the now steep incline behind Guanheng. His body was protesting at each movement, the soreness that malnutrition and sleeping on cold rock for days catching up to him.

“Hey!” A gruff voice echoed out from below them at the bottom of the pathway. Guanheng looked back over to Renjun once more, taking in his winded state. Renjun let his eyes flicker to the oncoming slaughter; a pack of five guards rushed towards them.

“Do you trust me?” Renjun whispered between the breathy pants of air he was gasping in.

“More than anyone I’ve ever met,” Guanheng answered without hesitation.

“Close your eyes.”

Guanheng followed his instruction and shut his lids tightly. Renjun also closed his eyes briefly in order to ready himself for what could possibly be a fatal move.

Popping his eyes back open, Renjun brought Guanheng close to his body, wrapping him in his arms. Shuffling them over to the edge, Renjun spotted a tree that was rather close. Pounding footfalls thumped up from where the guards were fast approaching.

And then Renjun jumped.

Wind whipped past them, tugging their hair harshly away from their faces. Renjun made sure Guanheng was buried in his shoulder, his grip tight round his waist, before he reached out with his right arm and snagged it onto a tree branch. They continued falling as Renjun missed the tree he aimed for. Leaves scratched their exposed skin, and small branches broke against them.

Grunting, Renjun turned them midair and reached out once more, this time successfully grabbing onto a branch. Their momentum didn’t stop however, and they swung forwards on the branch and into the thick trunk of the tree, knocking the wind out of both of them.

Renjun failed to catch his breath before his fingers were loosening and they were plummeting once more. This time the fall was much smaller, and when Renjun’s back slammed forcefully into the unforgiving ground with Guanheng on top of him, he knew that they had survived.

The two of them sat still for several moments, unable to move, half due to shock and the other because of pain. Renjun’s back throbbed something fierce while the rest of his body stung from the multitude of scratches across it. He had definitely pulled his shoulder and arm muscles from grabbing onto the tree branch so quickly, and he knew he would be unable to fight well using his right arm now.

“Renjun?” Guanheng whispered.

Grunting, Renjun tried and failed to raise himself up onto his arms to look at the other omega. As the seconds ticked by, Guanheng rolled off of Renjun to lie on the ground beside him. They both laid still, panting heavily.

“I’m glad I trusted you.” Guanheng whispered to which Renjun nodded.

“We need to move.” Renjun’s voice came out scratchy and hoarse.

“Can you move, though?”

Groaning, Renjun pushed himself up, his arms wobbling. His body caved inwards as pain rocketed up his back. Stifling his pained noises, he opened one eye to see Guanheng already standing with an arm reached out towards him.

Foliage began to swish and rustle in the distance which kicked Renjun’s ass in gear. Hobbling upwards, Renjun finally rose to his feet. But, it was too late.

The tree line broke, and heading up a small group was none other than Myungshin. His face was what Renjun supposed evil incarnate must look like. Eyebrows pinched, mouth in a snarl, and his chest heaving with angry breaths.

“Fucking-“ He lunged toward Renjun who fell and rolled sideways in order to protect himself.

Just as Renjun righted himself to prepare for the fight of all fights, a high pitched yelp came from behind him. Swiveling in place, Renjun spotted Guanheng being held in the air, hands around his neck by a rather large alpha. Guanheng was kicking his feet, doing all he could to escape the harsh hold on his windpipe.

“Stop!” Renjun growled, lunging towards the man who held his friend. Myungshin grabbed Renjun by his scruff, hoisting him backwards before bending his already sore arm behind his back roughly.

“Stop struggling or he dies.” Myungshin spit out. Renjun’s fight wavered as he saw the way Guanheng’s face was quickly reddening from the lack of oxygen in his body. “Choose wisely, little omega.”

Renjun swallowed a whimper before letting his body go slack in the arms of his enemy. A mocking laugh echoed from behind him as Myungshin quickly gathered both of Renjun’s arms in his hands as he allowed himself to be easily maneuvered.

The warrior who had Guanheng let him drop to the ground where he began to gasp for breath, his hands quickly coming up to hold either side of his throat. Even from this far away, Renjun could see where the outlines of bruises were beginning to form on his friend’s neck. Rage sung throughout every nerve in Renjun’s body before he felt scratchy rope wind its way around his whole body, securing him tightly.

“Take him to the pillory. And bring his bitch friend, too.”

Renjun was lifted into the arms of a wolf that smelt of scorched earth, slung across his shoulder, and then paraded behind Myungshin as if he was some sort of kill they had just caught earlier that day. Completely degraded to nothing more than a body.

The group marched together, an alpha gathering Guanheng in a similar fashion to how Renjun was being held. The crunching of ground beneath their feet kept Renjun in line, his heartbeat fluttering to its rhythm.

Renjun had no idea the layout of Guanheng’s pack, but he wasn’t surprised when they reached the clearing that he had spotted earlier from atop the mountain. The crowd jeered as they passed through the middle headed towards the wooden platform. The more Renjun observed, he realized that the majority of the pack seemed to have their heads bowed deep in submission. Only the ones nearest them were participating in slinging insults their way.

“Fucking omega!”

“Pathetic bitch! Go back to where you came from!”

“Look at them. Shit, how weak can you be? Slung over an alpha’s shoulder like a whore.”

Renjun took every word slung his way and let it drift from one ear and out the other. Getting rocked by each step, he closed his eyes shut tightly to pretend he was anywhere else. His head hung low, his neck lax in submission.

_Dammit. How the hell do I get out of this one?_

As they climbed the stairs, Renjun was brought back down hastily and slung towards the strange wooden contraption Guanheng had pointed out earlier. His arms were yanked from the rope to be shoved through two holes in front of him, his head following soon after. A wooden contraption came down and settled atop of him, trapping both of his arms and securing itself around his neck as he was quickly tied in. His body was bent forward, his face and hands facing the audience that had amassed.

“This is the reason we are facing war! _This_ is the reason why we have suffered these past several days!” Myungshin hollered across the crowd, earning cheers in response. “ _He,_ ” Myungshin came around to point at Renjun’s face, “is the reason our last alpha died. He gave me no choice and now he must die.”

There was shuffling around from behind Renjun, he couldn’t tell exactly what was happening, but it couldn’t have been good. When he heard Guanheng start to yell and tussling begin, Renjun clenched his fists and stared at the ground.

“Leave him alone!” Guanheng came around the front and swung his fist towards Myungshin, missing badly before getting caught upside the head with a punch that the alpha threw back his way.

“Fucking restrain him!” Myungshin barked before he turned and grabbed something from one of his warriors that looked like a long stripe of leather with a handle on the end.

The crowd began to quell their excitement as Myungshin took his place near where Renjun was captured. Squeezing his eyes shut tightly, Renjun thought back to where he had come from. How doing nothing but being born the way he was had caused so much pain in his life.

It simply wasn’t fair.

A loud crack of a whip sounded out from behind him; its sharp _whap_ echoed through the clearing. Renjun couldn’t hold himself back from trembling, his legs threatening to give out, as it sunk in just what exactly was about to happen to himself.

He felt hopeless. Renjun didn’t want to be saved. He wanted to fight his own fights, to save his own self, to be strong. And he had tried, but he had failed miserably.

_Jaemin?… Jeno?…_

Renjun couldn’t help but to try and reach out once more. His body was full of desperation, and the soft sounds of weeping struggle coming from Guanheng behind him made his omega want nothing more than to curl up with his alphas and bathe in their protection.

_Jeno? J-Jaemin?_

Soft sobs began to slip past Renjun’s lips as tears bubbled over and streamed down his face.

“What happened, little omega? Not tough anymore?” The disgusting alpha stench of Myungshin washed over him as the wolf leaned forward to whisper into Renjun’s ear. Renjun could feel nothing but extreme shame as he saw Myungshin begin to raise his hand holding the whip, preparing to strike him across the back.

_Renjun!_

His head snapped up in an instant, slightly startling Myungshin. Renjun let his eyes rake across what he could see of the horizon, thick clouds marring the sky as wind whipped around him. It seemed as if the weather began to respond to the situation. The heavy clouds began to cry in tandem with Renjun, the sun still shining bright behind them as they drizzled. Rain slicked Renjun’s hair to his forehead, the rest of the droplets that found him running across his cheeks, mingling with the tears that had rested there.

_RENJUN!_

A deep cry sprang from Renjun’s lips at the voices inside of his head.

_Jeno! Jaemin!_

“What the fuck is going on!” Myungshin shouted across the field as the low reverberating sound of the earth seeming to shake rocked across them. A hush fell across the crowd as everyone stood still, waiting to see what was about to happen next.

“Fuck this.” Myungshin grunted out, his hand coming back and lashing down harshly, aiming for the dead center of Renjun’s back. Holding his eyes closed, Renjun waited for the brutal sting of pain to hit him.

But, it never came.

Gasps rang out across the audience and Renjun turned his head to the best of his ability in order to get a glimpse of what was going on. To his right and mostly behind him, Renjun saw Jaemin grabbing the hand that Myungshin was going to whip him with while Jeno had his own around the alpha’s neck. Their eyes were full of poison; their gazes so deadly that they could simply kill with that alone.

Shocked cries came from in front of Renjun as he looked back out to see a plethora of wolves rush at the crowd. Most of them scattered, but several of the warriors that had jeered at Renjun began to shift and brace themselves.

“You made a big fucking mistake, buddy.” Renjun heard Jeno snarl before Jaemin began to bend Myungshin’s wrist at an angle that caused him to drop the whip he was holding.

“Nobody touches our fucking mate.”


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, it's me. I am back. *does a little dance*
> 
> Writing fight scenes is so hard and I never want to do it again.

“Nobody touches our fucking mate.”

Renjun couldn’t hold in the choked sob that passed his lips at Jaemin’s words, and the second Jeno turned his head at the sound and made eye contact with Renjun, the alpha’s hands tightened on Myungshin’s neck even harder.

One of Myungshin’s warriors lunged forward out of nowhere, tackling Jeno off of him and onto the ground of the raised platform. They tousled while Jaemin twisted Myungshin’s wrist harshly causing him to drop the whip onto the floor.

A fist flew at Jaemin’s head which he quickly ducked to avoid before he continued to turn Myungshin’s arm inwards, applying intense pressure onto the muscles and bone. Myungshin growled loudly before reaching down with his other hand and ripping Jaemin’s grip off of him.

“Renjun!” Guanheng’s voice came from behind him as a rattling metal noise jingled loudly next to his ears. Seconds later, the wooden pillory was opened and Renjun could lift himself from its confines. Guanheng swept him up into a brief hug before pulling back. They both had tears collected in their eyes as the rain from above soaked them thoroughly.

They were surrounded by fighting, and when one of the many warriors of the White pack wrapped his arms around Guanheng’s waist to lift him into the air and take him away, Renjun quickly shifted into his wolf, his drab clothing ripping away, before sinking his teeth directly into the other’s legs. The warrior yowled, dropping Guanheng onto the ground before Renjun pounced atop him and hastily ripped his throat out.

Renjun’s auburn muzzle was drenched in maroon blood as he turned to a shaking Guanheng who gave him an unsteady nod of thanks. Looking about, Renjun found a straight pathway to the open field. Guanheng skittered after Renjun down the side of the platform and onto the grounds where the chaos of fighting reigned. Shifting back to his human form momentarily, Renjun turned to Guanheng before grabbing him by the shoulders.

“You have to hide.”

“What? No! I can’t just leave you!”

“Guanheng!” Renjun yelled in frustration before letting his eyes dart around. Latching onto Guanheng’s arm, Renjun yanked him behind the platform and made him crouch down. “Stay here, please!”

“B-But-“

“Please!” Renjun’s voice cracked as he pleaded for his friend to stay put. “I can’t- just,  _ please Guanheng _ .” Eyes shifting between Renjun’s own, Guanheng finally sighed lightly while nodding his head.

“Yeah, okay. Okay. I’ll hide.”

“Thank you.” Renjun exhaled shakily, his grip on Guanheng still tight as he searched around for what to do next. Popping his head up from behind the platform, he spotted both Jaemin and Jeno going head to head with Myungshin. 

Jaemin currently had the alpha in a headlock as he continued to swing forward towards Jeno. Loud yells and grunts echoed across the open field while Myungshin used Jaemin’s grip to lift him off the ground, flipping Jaemin over his shoulder and on top of Jeno, smashing them both into the wooden floor.

“Jeno! Jaemin!” Renjun cried out, scrambling up onto the platform and racing towards them as Myungshin drew his arm back in order to deliver a harsh punch to the side of Jaemin’s head.

Renjun flung himself around Myungshin’s arm, pulling backwards to stop the momentum of his hit. Roaring outwardly, Myungshin shifted in Renjun’s hold. The white wolf shook Renjun off before pouncing atop him, his canines sharp and aiming for his throat right away.

Renjun’s body was so tired, his reflexes slow, but he was able to bring up his arms in time to stop the wolf’s teeth from sinking into the soft skin of his neck. Myungshin’s jaw clamped down into Renjun’s arms, his right one taking the brunt of it. A sharp  _ snap  _ resonated through Renjun’s body, his brain catching up a moment later as he was enveloped with pain.

A piercing scream ripped its way from his mouth as Renjun stared at the way the wolf’s teeth had broken the fragile bone in his right arm, crushing it. Renjun went limp in the jaws of Myungshin, agony wracking its way through his body.

All of a sudden, Myungshin was no longer on top of Renjun, but instead was being knocked sideways off of him by a midnight black wolf that Renjun recognized as Jeno. Jaemin rushed to Renjun, making him scream out as he lifted the omega into his arms and quickly bolted away.

“Fuck, Renjun, fuck.” Jaemin began chanting, his voice wobbling as he carried him through the frenzy, swiftly dodging attacks aimed their way. “Baby, baby. It’s okay.” Renjun whimpered, going limp in his alpha’s arms.

“Missed you so much,” Renjun half mumbled half whispered. “Arm hurts.”

“We missed you too, love.” Jaemin’s voice cracked as he finally located whatever he had been searching after.

A giant, dusty brown wolf was lingering on the outskirts of the main fight in the field. A plethora of different colored wolves went at it right in front of him as Jaemin tenderly lowered Renjun onto the ground next to the feet of the wolf.

“I trust you, Yukhei. Please, watch him,” Jaemin begged, earning a huff from the wolf.

“Yukhei?” Renjun winced as he turned to see the wolf hover next to him, his eyes sharp and focused on the scene in front of them both. Jaemin shifted in front of them, his mahogany brown wolf sprinting back towards where Jeno was.

Renjun eyed Yukhei up and down, as he realized that the last time he had seen him, he had been in a similar position as Renjun himself. Yukhei’s legs all looked completely fine, so he assumed that he was fully healed.

Changing positions slightly, Renjun yelped at the way his arm moved. Yukhei’s head snapped to him right away, padding over to sniff gently at his wound before growling lowly. Reaching up with his good arm, Renjun pet Yukhei’s head briefly, ensuring that he was alright.

Huffing, Yukhei turned to face the fighting once more. Thankfully, just in time as a white wolf broke off from the pack to charge straight at them. Forcing himself to stand, Renjun braced himself on his legs and Yukhei dipped deep into a fighting stance ready to lunge.

And lunge he did.

Yukhei pounced directly onto the other wolf’s head, flipping them onto the ground and snapping his neck between his jaws right away. The whole exchange took more than a handful of seconds to happen. Standing in shock, Renjun watched as Yukhei, snout bloody, came to him and nudged him, encouraging him to sit up once more.

Just as he was about to comply, Renjun heard a sharp scream that he had become familiar with; he had heard it that day more than he ever wished to.

Their position on the edge of the clearing allowed Renjun full range to see everything that was happening. He saw where Jeno and Jaemin continued to battle Myungshin atop of the platform. He saw where Johnny had just ripped a white wolf’s leg, tearing the ligaments across from them.

So, turning, Renjun was able to see just beyond the wooden stage where he had left Guanheng to hide. Two wolves had approached and cornered him, their canines on display. Yelling out, Renjun forced himself to shift, his broken bones grating against one another as he ran on three legs towards the other omega. He could tell Yukhei was close on his trail from the heavy thumping footfalls heard from behind him.

Rocketing towards the closest wolf, Renjun sunk his teeth into their back leg dragging them backwards away from Guanheng. Yukhei came up next to him, clawing his way through the hide of the second wolf. Guanheng shook violently before them as they continued to tussle with the wolves.

Renjun was easily pinned due to his disadvantage of being already injured. As the wolf went to sink his claws into his soft underbelly, a lithe grey speckled black wolf hurled itself sideways on top of the white wolf currently pinning Renjun. Head swiveling, Renjun found Guanheng nowhere to be seen.

Turning his head to see where he might have gone, Renjun spotted Yukhei finishing up his wolf he had taken on. But, he also saw the speckled wolf that had just saved his life struggling against the white wolf that he had knocked off of Renjun.

Just as the wolf who saved him was about to be flipped onto his back, Yukhei sprung into action once more, freeing the other wolf, that Renjun now figured had to be Guanheng, from his downfall. Guanheng scurried towards where Renjun laid against the mud as Yukhei quickly took care of the other wolf.

Shifting, Yukhei, torso caked in dried blood, approached Renjun with a furious look on his face.

“What kind of stunt do you think you’re trying to pull?” Yukhei yelled furiously at Renjun, who shamefully shifted back to his human form, Guanheng followed him in shifting back also.

“I wasn’t going to leave Guanheng!”

“Who-“ Yukhei began screaming before his eyes drifted over to the other omega who half hid behind Renjun. Lips clamping shut, Yukhei swallowed briefly, his eyes flickering over the other’s body before looking back to Renjun.

“He’s literally the only reason why I’m alive right now, Yukhei.”

“Yeah- uh- okay. Fine! Just don’t do it again!” Yukhei answered gruffly.

“Uh, hi?” Guanheng shyly waved before a wolf was thrown over the side of the platform directly next to them, startling them all out of their short introduction. Grasping his chest in shock, Guanheng then turned his attention back to Yukhei whose eyes were locked solely on him.

“Oh, yeah. Uh.” Yukhei simply stated looking as if a giant question mark was suspended above his head as he drank Guanheng in. His soaked bangs clung to his forehead as his open mouth caught rain droplets. 

“Uh?”

“Yukhei?” Renjun asked as Guanheng’s cheeks began to heat up at the alpha’s attention.

“Oh. Huh? Oh! Hi!” A giant smile broke out on Yukhei’s lips and if he was in wolf form, Renjun was sure that his tail would be wagging. When they continued their weird stare-off, Renjun couldn’t help but to roll his eyes, still clutching his arm to close to his body.

“You can both flirt later. We need to move.”

Simultaneous blushes broke out on both Guanheng and Yukhei’s cheeks. Turning to survey the fight scene, Renjun winced at the sharp pain hat coursed through his body. He really shouldn’t have pushed himself, but seeing the desperate and fearful look in Guanheng’s eyes sent him into overdrive.

“Argh!” A cry of pain caught Renjun’s attention and his head whipped to the left as he saw Myungshin towering over Jaemin with a smirk.

Blood dribbled down the side of Myungshin’s face before it was washed away by the rain. The veins in Jaemin’s neck bulged as he continued to press upwards and try and throw the other alpha off.

Nearby, Renjun spotted Jeno’s wolf in a tooth to tooth battle with a large dirty blonde wolf. His teeth sunk into the side of the other’s neck and Jeno was thrashing his head when he heard Jaemin’s cries at the same time.

Jeno let go of the hold on the wolf he had as he turned sharply to head towards Jaemin. Myungshin’s hands came down around Jaemin’s throat, strangling the life out of him. Renjun had never seen Jaemin’s face so red. And when Jeno crashed into Myungshin’s body to knock him off, Renjun found himself scrambling up the side of the platform to reach them both.

His arm hung limply from his side as the rain washed through his eyes, making it harder to see. Blinking away the water, Renjun stood up on unstable legs, fear rushing through his body as he saw Myungshin shift into his wolf and turn to attack Jeno. Somewhere behind him, he could hear the way Yukhei called out to him to warn him, but his mind was in a different place, completely focused.

Rushing towards Jaemin, Renjun slipped and fell on top of his alpha who was gasping for breath. The noises of snarling and teeth clamping down through skin surrounded them as Renjun brought his hand to Jaemin’s face to check to see if he was alright. The water from Renjun’s hair trickled down onto Jaemin’s face as he inhaled and exhaled shakily; his mind flooded with overwhelming worry as he was tugged in both directions of fretting about Jeno and Jaemin as well. 

“Jaemin?” Renjun asked softly, his hand unsteady where it held the other’s chin.

“Renjun,” Jaemin’s voice came out cracked and broken, “where’s Jeno?”

Just then, a loud  _ thunk  _ startled them both as Jeno was thrown down next to them harshly. His midnight black wolf bounced slightly before Jeno shifted back to his human form; his body was littered with marks and gashes. Looking behind him, Renjun saw Myungshin’s wolf snarling, his teeth dripping with Jeno’s blood. Slowly Myungshin began to stand as he shifted back to stand above the three of them, taunting them with his smirk.

“Well, well, well,” Myungshin’s voice was punctuated with the gruff sounds of fighting from all around them. Peeking to the side, Renjun saw that the field was full of slain white wolves; his pack was obviously winning. Myungshin followed Renjun’s gaze and immediately began to growl lowly before whipping his head back to them. “This is your fucking fault!”

Stomping forward, Myungshin reached down and pulled Renjun up by his hair before dragging him to the edge of the platform. Hoisting Renjun up, Myungshin grabbed the omega with one hand by the throat and held him out over the end of the platform. Kicking his legs wildly, Renjun pried with his one good arm at Myungshin’s death grip on his neck, his windpipe slowly being crushed.

“Stop!” Myungshin yelled loudly to no avail before a rippling roar sprung free from his mouth silencing the nearby wolves. Clenching tighter, Myungshin strangled Renjun before them all, and the more of his pack that saw, the more they began to stop fighting.

“Stop right now or I kill this pathetic little bitch! Not that he doesn’t have it coming anyways.” Renjun could feel his veins bulging in his forehead, could barely see in front of him, and the feeling in his legs was all but gone. “Back away from my pack!” Myungshin bellowed, and slowly the sounds of struggle ceased.

“Now, listen to what I have to say,” Renjun felt Myungshin’s fingers flex causing him to wheeze. “You will all retreat your sorry asses back into those god forsaken woods and leave my damn pack alone. If you obey me, then I’ll think of letting the omega live.” Renjun could just slightly fit his fingers in between Myungshin’s own and his neck while his mangled arm rested bleeding against his chest.

“Like hell we will!” Yukhei’s voice drifted through one of Renjun’s ears and out the other, but he heard him all the same.

Renjun felt a blood vessel in his temple pop from the force of Myungshin’s hands. Groaning and crying lowly, Renjun gave up and let himself hang completely limp in the grasp of the alpha.

All of a sudden, just as Renjun’s vision turned black, air rushed back into his lungs and his body fell, crumbling into the mud. Blinking with his eyes directed upwards, Renjun had a front row seat to see Jaemin’s claws deep into either side of Myungshin’s neck. Myungshin’s eyes bulged outwards, his mouth in an open gasp before Jaemin slowly removed his claws allowing Myungshin’s wounds to pour out blood from his arteries.

Letting his head lull backwards, Renjun directed his eyes towards the heavens looking at them as they cried. Eyelids fluttering shut, Renjun felt air seep back into his lungs as a chilling breeze sent goosebumps across his arms.

And then nothing.

Renjun was warm. He was so warm and comfortable and if this was a dream, there was no way in hell he was going to let himself wake up anytime soon.

“Renjun,” a soft voice broke through his bubble of warmth. Grimacing, Renjun tried to block out the noise. “Renjun? Renjun, hey. Baby?”

Prying one of his eyes open, Renjun came face to face with Jaemin who had him wrapped securely in his arms. A slight shift next to him alerted Renjun to the fact that Jeno had his arms secured tightly around his waist as his face nestled into his chest.

“J-Jaemin? Jeno?” Renjun’s eyes watered and spilled over as sobs wrestled their way through his chest. The overwhelming feeling of seeing them and being so close to them after so long, his heart felt full for the first time in so long.

“Yes, baby. We’ve got you.” Renjun reached up to circle his hands around Jaemin before the sharpest of pains broke through his right arm causing him to yelp. Looking down he saw it wrapped in gauze and tightly secured to a piece of wood, straightening it out.

“Hm? Huh? Renjun! Are you okay?” Jeno scrambled awake, sitting up to reach over and inspect Renjun.

“Hurts,” Renjun sniffled as Jeno leaned down to place feather light kisses along his arm. Jaemin’s hand carded its way through his hair. “Missed you both so-s-so much,” Renjun hiccupped; the overwhelming relief washed down over him.

Jeno’s eyes began to sparkle with moisture as Jaemin sniveled from behind him. Arms held Renjun from all sides as he peered through his tears, finally realizing where they were. They were snuggled up inside Jaemin’s cabin in his bed, and Renjun couldn’t stop himself from whining and whimpering as he realized the scents he had missed so much were once again soaking into every space of air around him.

Grabbing the furs with his good hand, Renjun brought them up to his nose and inhaled the herby and citrusy scents that melded together in harmony. Large bursts of floral scents released from Renjun in contentment as he began to scent the pelts. Soft, watery giggles came from Jaemin as he buried his head into Renjun’s neck and bit gently at his scent gland.

Shivers cascaded up his spine at the feeling and Renjun couldn’t help it when his whole body began to tremble. The scents of his alphas were all encompassing him, and the effects were sudden and strong. His whole body relaxed backwards, becoming completely pliant as he stretched his head neck backwards to submit to the both of them.

Jeno attached himself to Renjun’s other scent gland, and both the alphas nuzzled their omega. The three of them stayed in their cuddle puddle for what felt like hours, and when Renjun finally came down from his scent high, the gravity of what happened slapped him over the head.

“Wait, Guanheng. Where’s Guanheng? Myungshin, did he die? Where-where is Yukhei okay?” Shuffling back to sit and face Jaemin, Renjun’s brow pulled down in worry. Jaemin smirked and swooped forwards to steal a kiss from him before speaking.

“Yukhei is more than okay. He’s with your friend, who is Guanheng I’m assuming? He’s been helping him adapt to life here.”

“It’s really cute, honestly. The way Yukhei looks at him, I mean,” Jeno smiled softly, letting his fingers trace along Renjun’s jawline from the other side before leaning back in and scenting Renjun once more.

“I really wanna see him, but… that’s good. I’m glad,” Renjun smiled to himself. “Have you guys seen my mom? Is she alright? I need to visit her, and Ten, too. Is Ten okay?” Chuckling Jaemin ducked down and stole a much softer kiss from Renjun this time, their lips caressing one another.

“Slow down, love. We’ll answer all of your questions. Do you not remember Myungshin dying?” Jaemin whispered into Renjun’s cheek, snuggling him close.

“No, I just-“ The scene of Jaemin claw-deep into Myungshin’s neck flashed across his mind once more. “Oh.”

“Yes, Jaemin took care of him. You don’t have to worry,” Jeno reassured, kissing Renjun’s scent gland tenderly. “Kun told us that it’d be best to stay together while we heal because he thinks our connection can help speed everything up.”

“Our connection?” Renjun mused.

“Don’t tell me you can’t feel it, Renjun.” Jeno smiled, his eyes crinkling. Reaching up, he placed a large hand over Renjun’s heart. “When we were separated, it was heartbreaking. Devastating, but more so than just regular sadness… Jaemin and I even dreamt that we could speak to you-“

“-Wait, I had a dream like that, too…” Renjun cut him off, his eyes going wide as he stared into Jeno’s.

“See. It’s different. We… I’m not sure, but I don’t think it’s too far off to say… fated mates?” Jaemin whispered a pout on his lips as he avoided both Jeno and Renjun’s eyes.

_ Fated mates. _

“I love you both so much. I love you, Jeno. I love you, Jaemin. I adore you both. I have no clue where I would be without you both and you have been such a constant support for me, and-and- and- Fuck! I don’t want to cry again,” Renjun rushed out, his hands shaking.

“I love you so much, Renjun.” Jaemin echoed right away, turning Renjun’s face to kiss his lips while squeezing his cheeks lightly.

“Love you. Love you,” Jeno agreed, wrapping his arms around Renjun’s waist and shuffling him directly into his own lap. “Love both you and Jaemin  _ so much.  _ I want to spend the rest of my life with you both. I can’t imagine it any other way.”

Wrapping his good arm around Jeno’s neck, Renjun pulled him forward towards his lips. Jeno’s were plush and soft as they moved gently against Renjun’s own. Jaemin rested his chin on Renjun’s shoulder before leaning forward and stealing Jeno’s lips away from Renjun. Renjun whined in complaint, while Jaemin giggled into his and Jeno’s kiss.

After they pulled apart, Jaemin kissed the underside of Renjun’s jaw before resting his hand in the omega’s hair. The two alphas shared a look that sent butterflies bubbling in Renjun’s stomach.

“I love you both,” Renjun echoed, whispering garnering both of their attention.

“Love you more, cutie pie,” Jaemin’s smile was so bright, it was blinding. Renjun rolled his eyes at the pet name making Jeno laugh.

“Then, I love you most,” Jeno joked back at Jaemin who looked genuinely upset at this revelation.

“Wait, I’m sorry? No, I definitely love you both the most,” Jaemin scoffed.

“Hmmm, I’m not so sure,” Renjun drawled out, a playful expression on his face that made Jeno break out into giggles.

“Oh Goddess, this is going to be something else to argue about, isn’t it?” Jeno asked.

“There’s nothing to argue about if I know for a fact that I love you both the most? Like, come on. What kind of a competition is it if we already know the winner?”

“I can’t believe I missed you,” Renjun joked, earning a lap full of pouty Jaemin. As the alpha rolled around whining, Renjun couldn’t hide a smile so large that his cheeks began to hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life has been crazy, sorry for taking so long! Thank you to everyone who reached out for being so lovely <3
> 
> (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ


	27. Chapter 27

Renjun sunk his canines into the back of the deer’s neck before clamping his mouth shut and snapping its neck completely. After letting the deer fall, he licked the blood off his snout and huffed in satisfaction at the small pile of fresh carcasses he had wrangled that morning.

Six.

He had killed six deer that day, beating his previous record by one. And, as soon as he had realized as much, Renjun began to sprint in circles around Jaemin yelping. Jaemin had been in the same hunting group as him, so his alpha had a front row seat to watch the way Renjun hunted down and slaughtered their prey.

Jaemin’s wolf bolted towards Renjun, tackling the much smaller wolf to the ground. They rolled around through the grass before Jaemin pinned him and began to lick his face. Blowing air out of his nose, Renjun wiggled to get out of Jaemin’s embrace, rolling his eyes at the affection. The rest of the wolves in their small hunting pack began to help Renjun haul his kills back to the pack house. Promptly clamping down on the neck of his freshest kill, Renjun followed the group, dragging the deer along.

The trek back didn’t take them long, and when Renjun saw Jeno waiting at the back entrance to the dining hall, Renjun sprinted forward, opening his mouth to drop his kill. Jumping up, Renjun shifted midair so that Jeno was forced to catch him right away.

“Jeno! I did it, I beat my record!” Jeno’s eyes crinkled as he let out a cute laugh.

The past several days since Renjun had been back felt like a dream they were so perfect.

Waking up in the morning surrounded by the two people he loved, breakfast with his mom, and then usually Johnny would carry Ten out to the training fields so that he could watch Renjun fight. Ten hadn’t lost his drive to teach Renjun, and Renjun hadn’t lost his commitment to learn.

After getting back from the White Pack, Renjun found out that Johnny had become Ten’s personal transportation person. Sometimes Renjun would see him riding on the back of Johnny’s wolf, and other times he would simply carry Ten bridal style.

Which he was doing now. Renjun couldn’t hold in the laugh at how Jeno was holding him almost the same way Johnny held Ten as the two approached Taeyong’s wolf that had been out hunting as well.

Jumping out of Jeno’s arms, Renjun shifted back to his wolf once more and trotted forward to help the others. Jaemin nosed along Jeno’s side making the other alpha stumble slightly before the wolf leaned up and licked a thick stripe across his cheek.

“Goddess, Jaemin. Come on, I don’t know where your mouth has been.” After a beat of silence, Jaemin’s wolf seemed to almost raise a suggestive eyebrow and Renjun’s wolf shook his head at what Jaemin was obviously trying to implicate.

_ If you want, you can find out where my tongue could be,  _ Jaemin mind linked them both simultaneously. Renjun felt his cheeks heat up as Jeno flicked the center of Jaemin’s forehead making the wolf huff in annoyance.

“Come on, let me finish helping you both,” Jeno replied.

“Good, now faster,” Ten called out to Renjun from where he sat propped up on a large rock.

They had moved the main training space closer to the woods so that Ten could find a place to overlook everyone. Originally, Ten had been trying to sit on the field, but he kept getting doused in dirt, so this was their solution.

“Faster?” Renjun panted out, his hands on his knees as he bent over, already exhausted.

“Yes, you can do it. Or,” Ten leaned forward, “maybe you can’t. Maybe you aren’t the fastest wolf now.” Sighing out dramatically, Ten let his body slowly relax backwards as he stared off into the space. Renjun knew that he was simply trying to egg him on, but it definitely worked. His body was already drenched in sweat and he felt like he would overheat at any second, but he pushed on nevertheless.

Ten made sure Renjun was thoroughly exhausted before he got Johnny to come and pick him up. Johnny lifted Ten’s body, his legs completely slack as he looped his arms around the back of Jonny’s neck.

“Good work today, Renjun. You’re seriously getting faster. I think you might be able to outrun even me- well,” Ten cut himself off, shaking his head. A pang of guilt struck through Renjun’s heart before Johnny placed a tender kiss on Ten’s cheek.

“Come on, Taeyong is waiting for us.”

“Yeah, okay,” Ten kissed Jonny’s cheek in return before turning his head to Renjun once more. “See ya tomorrow, kiddo!”

After washing up in the lagoon in the woods, Renjun scampered straight to Jaemin’s cabin. He had made berry picking plans with Guanheng and Donghyuck for later that evening, so he wanted to make sure he got to see them both before he had to leave.

Opening the door, Renjun smiled softly before stretching his arms high above his head. His body was stiff and sore and the weather had been especially warm that day. He was hopeful that maybe he could convince the two alphas to nap with him for a bit.

“Jaemin? Jeno?”

“In here, baby!” Jaemin’s voice called out from the direction of his room.

Once he got to the room, Renjun opened the door to reveal only Jaemin in their bed, his hair absolutely ruffled and a mess. Giggling at his alpha’s obviously sleepy and puffy eyes, Renjun hopped over to the bed and snuggled right up next to him. Jaemin bent down to kiss the crown of Renjun’s head before pulling him back into his arms and laying them both down.

“Hm, you smell good.”

“Where’s Jeno?”

“Dunno. I think his father wanted to brief him on some stuff, maybe?”

_ Jeno?  _ Renjun asked across their link.  _ I’m super sleep _ y  _ and me and Jaemin are cuddling so you should definitely come and join.  _ A few moments later, a soft laugh sounded throughout his mind.

_ I’m almost done here. I’ll join you both soon, okay? Rest for now.  _ Jaemin shrugged, pulling Renjun closer to his body so he could set his chin atop his head.

“You heard him. Let’s sleep, baby.”

“Okay,” Renjun breathed out, a yawn breaking free from his lips. He was enveloped in warmth and love, and Renjun felt so cozy it almost made him emotional. “Love you, Jaem.”

“Love you, too, Renjun.”

Falling asleep was almost too easy, and when Jeno finally snuck his way into their cuddle puddle, Renjun realized just how warm he was.

Almost too warm.

_ Fuck!  _ Renjun yelled, accidentally projecting it over their mind link, startling the two alphas.

“What the- Renjun are you okay?” Jaemin hurried out after being startled awake. Renjun began to try and count the moon cycles since he had been here and began to groan as he let his body fall backwards into the mountain of furs.

“Jun?” Jeno softly called out, trying to get his attention.

“I think I’m in my preheat.” The rush of pheromones that both Jaemin and Jeno released in response to Renjun’s statement was almost comedic. But, with Renjun’s currently more vulnerable demeanor, all it did was make him swallow harshly and tense up.

“What do you want to do, baby? Want us to take you back to the omega cabin and make sure you’re set up with a bunch of our stuff?” Renjun whined at the thought, turning over to bury his face completely into the nearest pelt.

“No,” Renjun mumbled into the fur.

“Then what? What can we do to help, Junnie?” Jeno asked, the silence following the question thick with anticipation. Sighing, Renjun turned over flat on his back. Staring at the ceiling, he crossed his arms over his chest squeezing his eyes shut.

“You both love me, right?” There was a beat of silence before Renjun felt lips in his hair.

“Of course, Renjun. We adore you,” Jeno whispered.

“Mhm. Love you so much,” Jaemin spoke into Renjun hair.

“Will you… would you both… take care? Of me? Maybe?”

“Like, during your heat?” A fierce blush spread across Renjun’s face, tingeing him pink. Nodding, Renjun opened one of his eyes to take in the expressions of them both. Jeno and Jaemin shot one another a look before looking back down to Renjun between them.

“I mean, I would absolutely love to Renjun.” Jaemin started as Jeno began to nod.

“Yeah, we promise to take good care of you. You can trust us,” Jeno agreed.

And Renjun knew that, too. If he trusted anyone to take care of him it was Jaemin and Jeno. He looked up at them from where he lay and let a timid smile slip onto his lips.

“Okay. I want… I want that.”

“Alright, can we do anything right now for you?” Jaemin asked, his brow set in a serious and straight line making Renjun giggle at his sincerity.

“I’ll want to nest soon, so if you guys could maybe go and make sure we have water? And, uh, snacks?”

“Done and done,” Jeno answered, leaning over to push Jaemin off from where he was perched on the bed. “Get a move on, Renjun needs his own space.”

“What the hell- Jeno!” The alpha came around the other side of the bed and immediately started to tussle in the furs on the bed.

Renjun began to get frustrated at them seeing as how they were mussing up the pelts too much and he would have to work harder to make sure the space was comfy. A deep pout pulled both his lips and eyebrows down, and when Jeno looked up to see as much, he parted from Jaemin right away.

“Sorry, Jun. Uh,” Jeno reached out and shoved Jaemin one last time making him fall face first onto the bed before his eyes scrunched up prettily and he bolted from the room. Jaemin took after him in a heartbeat leaving Renjun to wonder why he loved them both so much.

It took him the better part of an hour but Renjun had finally finished rearranging the bed the way he knew would be the best for them. There was a circular pile of furs in the middle of the bed where Renjun curled up in the middle, snuggled in warmth.

The door to Jaemin’s cabin creaked open slowly and Renjun could hear two sets of footsteps echoing down from the hallway. Thumping sounded out before loud shushing noises followed and a smash crash reverberated through the hall.

“He’s probably sleeping! Be careful, the water is-“

“Jeno, you’re the one walking like you’re trying to stomp through the floor-“

“I will-“

“Sshhh!”

Renjun snickered into his palm, sitting up in his bed as he waited for the two to round the corner. Jaemin’s head came into view first, his eyes widening when he saw a smirking Renjun sitting in their bed.

“Are you both done arguing now?” Jaemin had the decency to blush as Jeno hauled two buckets of water to store in their room for the days to come.

“Sorry if we woke you, Jun,” Jeno grunted out as he set the water down.

“No, I was already awake, but I did enjoy hearing your antics.” Pouting, Jaemin slung himself on top of Renjun making him squeak at the sudden crushing weight. “Jaemin!”

“I love your nest, baby. It looks so cozy and perfect for us three,” Jaemin murmured into the side of Renjun’s head as he nuzzled him closer. Heat rushed up Renjun’s neck and caused his cheeks to burn as his omega preened with satisfaction.

“Really?” Renjun breathed out as Jaemin began to pepper kisses along the column of his neck.

“Yes, I love it. Love you, too.” Sucking softly at Renjun’s collarbones, Jaemin let his hands roam playfully across Renjun’s body.

“Jaem-Jaemin, if you don’t stop-“

“Do you want him to stop?” Jeno asked, his eyes imploring and kind, but when Renjun shook his head no, his eyes changed to fiery mischief.

“It’s just getting hotter is all,” Renjun whispered before he threw his head backwards and Jaemin climbed over to straddle him where he sat.

Sucking his way back up Renjun’s neck, Jaemin stopped to bite softly at his ear. Grabbing Renjun’s jaw, Jaemin’s fingers dug slightly into the side of his face as he turned his head to face him. Jaemin devoured Renjun’s lips with his own, letting them slide lithely across one another’s. The furs moved slightly as Jeno sat down on Renjun’s left side, softly grabbing on to the dip in Renjun’s waist before gently placing a kiss on his cheek.

“Do you want to wait until it hits, or?” Jeno asked softly, waiting for Jaemin to let Renjun breathe so he could answer.

“I’m not sure, I- I don’t want to wait,” Renjun breathed deeply through his nose, his chest rising and falling faster than normal.

“Then you don’t have to, baby,” Jaemin drawled out slowly, his pointer finger still on Renjun’s jaw as he softly directed Renjun’s face back to his own. Leaning in slowly, Jaemin let their lips brush against one another once more, this time with much gentler intentions.

Cradling Renjun’s head, Jaemin sucked his bottom lip inside of his mouth, nibbling it lightly as Jeno moved to sit behind Renjun wrapping his arms around his waist and kissing the hollow of his neck. Renjun felt himself becoming less and less focused and unable to sit still as well. His breath came out in gasps as Jaemin let his hands drift underneath his shirt to tease at his chest.

Raising his arms, Jeno helped take Renjun’s shirt off before flinging it to the side. Jaemin let his tongue wander down Renjun’s body, tracing every little freckle or mark on his chest. When he got to his nipples, Jaemin tenderly let his tongue trace around them in circles making Renjun squirm at the soft teasing in Jeno’s hold. Letting his teeth graze over the sensitive area, Jaemin bit down causing Renjun to jolt.

“Jaem- '' Renjun breathed out, his eyes locked on Jaemin’s own as he stared up at him from where he kissed along the smaller’s belly.

“We’ve got you, don’t worry,” Jaemin whispered out onto Renjun’s skin causing his arms and neck to prickle with goosebumps even though he was getting hotter and hotter.

Jeno’s shirt and then Jaemin’s were tossed to the floor soon after before Jeno shifted to hover atop Renjun, his arms bracketing his head. Jaemin sat off to the side gently stroking through either of their hair.

“You both look so beautiful,” Jaemin whispered, making Jeno and Renjun look his way while their ears were set aflame. Sending them a dopey grin, Jaemin gestured for them to stop looking his way and kiss instead.

And kiss they did.

Jeno devoured Renjun as he lay beneath him, his hands curled around Jeno’s broad shoulders. Their noses bumped against one another in the haste of their kisses. Tongues dancing together in sensual combat, and when Renjun whined at a particularly lustful lick, Jeno’s chest reverberated with a possessive growl.

Renjun could feel the fabric of his shorts begin to stick to himself, and he knew that his alphas would only grow more worked up the more they smelt him. So, worried that his bottoms might come out of this encounter ripped, Renjun saved them instead by ridding himself of them. Flinging them off to the side, he received glinting predator-like gazes.

Jeno had pulled back from Renjun’s mouth and right away grabbed him by either ankle and pulled him down the bed so that Renjun’s ass sat flat against Jeno’s clothed thighs where he was kneeling. Kneading Renjun’s leg muscles, Jeno slowly parted his legs, the scent of his arousal hitting him over the head.

“Fuck, you smell so… so-“

“Perfect,” Jaemin finished for Jeno, causing Renjun’s body temperature to escalate.

Renjun wasn’t sure what to do with his hands as they continued to flounder around trying to find purchase on anything stable. One of them ended up clasped tightly on top of his chest while the other pulled at the pelt beneath him.

Jeno leaned down and kissed the inside of Renjun’s thigh as they exchanged a heated look. Not breaking eye contact, Jeno lowered himself and placed a kiss directly onto Renjun’s hole making him gasp ever so slightly at the intimacy of it all. Tongue laving across the slicked pucker, Renjun’s chest began to stutter with his shallow intakes of breath, and his neck had begun to feel strained from the way he raised his head so that he could see Jeno between his legs.

“I’ve got you,” Jaemin whispered out as Jeno’s tongue delved past his rim and Renjun’s head relaxed backwards with a soft moan. Situating himself behind Renjun, Jaemin let the other’s head fall perfectly into his lap. “There you go. Pretty.”

Groaning at the praise and the stimulation, Renjun clenched his fists tighter. Somewhere in the back of his mind he worried that he might rip the pelt, but as Jeno softly massaged him with a finger, teasing entering him, all thoughts fleeted from his mind

“Baby, we’re going to have to stretch you out really good, you know? If you want to… um, take all of us. If not, that’s fine too! Whatever is comfortable?” Letting out a low whine, Renjun felt his omega swelter at the thought of taking two knots. The image of the last time when he had seen them wracked its way through his thoughts, making his whole body shiver in anticipation.

As Jeno’s thick finger entered him, Renjun panted and grappled with Jaemin’s shorts attempting to get them off. Jaemin chuckled at the display before moving himself in order to match Renjun in his state of undress.

“This what you wanted?” Jaemin joked as he gestured to his fully naked body.

“Yes, now,” Renjun opened his mouth and turned his body slightly so that he could lick along the tip of Jaemin’s cock, right around the head.

“Good boy,” Jaemin breathed out, his hand brushing its way through his hair.

Jeno continued to open Renjun slowly, the amount of wetness helping to ease him along. Two fingers gently found their way inside of Renjun and Jeno continued to lick the surrounding sensitive area. Renjun could feel his length jump as the new intrusion, drooling out onto his stomach as he continued to kiss and lick at Jaemin.

When two turned to three and Renjun could no longer focus on Jaemin, he was panting so unbelievably hard that Jaemin almost looked worried for him. Jeno’s three fingers tenderly slid in and out of Renjun, hooking their way upwards to make sure they passed over his prostate each time. Jeno knew he hit it when Renjun would jump with a tiny jolt and a moan.

“You’re doing so well, Jun,” Jeno reassured.

“How do you feel?” Jaemin asked, brushing back Renjun’s sweaty bangs from his forehead so that he could kiss the damp skin there.

“Full, nervous, but good,” Renjun replied, his eyes clamped shut and his brow furrowed.

“We’ve got you. We’ve got you,” Jaemin repeated as a mantra to soothe Renjun. And Renjun knew that it was true, that they did have him.

So, when Jeno shuffled himself upwards again and eased his way out of his shorts, Renjun let his body become pliant in their arms. Renjun let his head fall back, neck exposing for claiming, and submitted to the two people he loved the most.

“Please?” Renjun softly asked, and without denying him one more second, Jeno scooted forwards on his knees so that he could align himself with Renjun. Taking a hand and raking it through Renjun’s slick, Jeno applied it as well as he could to his own length.

“Slow, okay? I’m going to go  _ extremely slow,”  _ Renjun nodded at Jeno as he prepared himself.

Jaemin continued to softly caress Renjun, making sure to be a soothing presence for him, as Jeno applied the smallest amounts of pressure to his rim. Holding himself with one hand, Jeno pushed against Renjun’s tight rim as he tried to relax to the best of his ability.

The tiniest bit of Jeno’s tip sunk past the muscle making Renjun keen at the stretch, and as Jeno continued to move forward, his hole expanding, he couldn’t hold in the tiny whines that escaped him.

“Are you okay, love?”

“Yeah, Junnie. Need me to stop?” Renjun furrowed his brow. Jeno didn’t feel too deep yet, and when he craned his neck to look down it seemed as if Jeno still had most of the way to go.

“No, I can take a bit more. Just… slow.”

“Slow,” Jeno nodded, agreeing.

Continuing to inch forward, Renjun felt himself stretch to lengths he never imagined. His omega purred as he tried his hardest not to clench down on Jeno’s girth. Jeno’s scent was so overwhelming, letting his brain become pleasantly fuzzy, taking away the sharpest of the pain. Because Jeno had stretched him so well, it wasn’t long until his hips hit the swell of Renjun’s ass making his cheeks bounce very so slightly.

“Fuck. Goddess dammit, Renjun,” Jeno cursed, his jaw clenched in restraint. Renjun opened his mouth to respond, but only a small series of whimpers escaped him instead. “Too much?”

“N-no,” Renjun stuttered. “Just so full… I’m- oh.” Jeno shifted his weight causing his length to stir inside Renjun. Clenching in response to the intrusion, Jeno grunted out at the extra tightness and pressure on his dick.

“How does he feel, Jeno? Finally getting to split our pretty baby open on your cock, hm?”

“Fuck,” Renjun and Jeno said in unison before Jeno released a shaky sigh. “Can I move, Renjun? How do you feel?” 

“Yeah, not too much. Just a little… not a lot, yet, please.”

“Of course,” Jeno moaned as he leaned back the slightest amount before rocking back forward into Renjun’s constricting, wet heat.

He continued to move in tiny thrust for several minutes allowing Renjun to adjust, his rim finally not feeling as if it’s stretched beyond repair. When Jeno’s hips hit his ass, he could almost swear he felt Jeno all the way inside of his stomach. That was how big he was.

Testing the limits, Jeno pulled halfway out of Renjun before moving back forwards faster than he had been. He had moved in such a way that now his head rubbed against his prostate on the way back in making Renjun gasp loudly scaring both alphas. Jeno halted immediately as Jaemin cradled Renjun’s head upside down.

“Are you okay? What hurts?” Jaemin asked, his eyes flitting back and forth with worry.

“No, no, no,” Renjun answered breathlessly. “Good. It was good, he, that spot, he-“

“Oh,” Jaemin responded, a mischievous smirk on his face quickly replacing the worry that had been there. “Jeno, do that again?”

Not hesitating a second, Jeno followed Jaemin’s command, thrusting back in the exact same way making Renjun’s brow furrow up and punching a soft moan out of him. Jeno continued this way, making sure he had the correct angle, as he thrusted half his length over and over again into Renjun making his body tense up in pleasure.

Renjun’s legs began to jerk in sensitivity as Jeno pulled further and further out before thrusting his way back inside. Soon, Jeno was fucking Renjun at a steady pace, Jeno’s whole length plunging into him over and over again.

“There you go,” Jaemin cooed, once again brushing his hair back. “Feels good?”

“S-So good, Jaem,” Renjun gasped, his head shooting up as Jeno grabbed his ankles and bent Renjun almost completely in half, making it so that Jeno was pounding his way straight into his prostate. Wailing out, Renjun’s back arched at the stimulation, his cock springing up and down in arousal. Jaemin leaned over Renjun’s head so that he could hold his hips down while Jeno grabbed his ankles as fucked into him much faster than he had thus far.

The continuous pressure against his insides began to cause Renjun’s belly to tighten little by little, and Renjun was thankful that he was in preheat because there’s no way he would last very much longer. But, fortunately, he would mostly likely be able to go again soon.

“I’m- ah-“ Renjun’s sentence got cut off as Jeno raised his foot and planted it onto the bed, once again changing their position. Renjun felt his eyes roll into the back of his head at the steady pressure as his gut strung tight in anticipation of his release.

“Fuck, Renjun. You’re so, ah, perfect,” Jeno panted out, his eyes locked on Renjun’s flushed face, which matched the rest of his pink tinged body.

“Jeno- ah!” All of a sudden, Renjun felt the string that had been taught snap and he was painting his stomach in white ropes to the sounds of Jeno fucking himself into him. Soft grunts came from Jeno at each thrust, low curse words flinging their way out of his mouth when Renjun continued to clench down hard.

“I’m, fuck, Jaemin come here,” Jeno panted as Jaemin swiftly crawled across the small space, kissing Renjun softly before he got there.

Opening his mouth, Jaemin ducked down so that he was eye level with Jeno’s cock when he quickly pulled it from Renjun’s slick heat. Jaemin enveloped Jeno’s cock whole and began bobbing fiercely. Jeno continued to gasp as Renjun watched the scene with hooded eyelids, his gut still simmering.

“Gonna,” Jeno murmured out lowly, as Jaemin scooted back and stuck his tongue out just in time to be covered in Jeno’s release. His eyes fluttered shut as Jeno squeezed his hand tightly with one of his own, his other bracing himself on the bed.

Renjun, for some reason, found himself frowning and a strange sense of loss settled over him. As he saw Jeno come onto Jaemin, his knot not inside of him, he realized how sad his omega was. So sad, in fact, that he couldn’t stop himself from beginning to whip pathetically right as Jeno leaned down to kiss Jaemin’s sloppy lips.

“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you? I’m so sorry, Renjun,” Jeno quickly came to his aid and Renjun curled up into his arms right away, making himself small.

“No my,” he sniffed, “my omega. I want your knot. Didn’t get your knot or your cum.”

“Oh, preheat.” Renjun huffed looking up at Jeno with narrowed eyes as Jaemin wiped his face clean with his discarded shirt.

“No! I mean, yes, but also… well, yeah it’s my heat talking, but still!”

“How do you feel?” Jaemin asked, tilting his head sympathetically. And, when Jaemin brought attention to it, he felt the way a dull ache settled in his lower back and no matter what he did he still felt so open and empty.

“Weird, not great… kinda….”

“Does it hurt?” Jaemin asked to which Renjun shook his head no.

“Not really, just…. Empty.”

“Well,” Jeno started, snuggling into the top of Renjun’s head, “I love you both. Thank you for sharing one of your firsts with me, Junnie.”

“Love you guys, too. But, Jaemin… he,” Jaemin cut Renjun off waving his hand dismissively.

“You’re about to go into heat, baby. You need to get some rest.”

“But, I want you, too! Need you, too.”

“And you’ll have me,” Jaemin rolled his eyes before slinking closer on his hands and feet. “In fact, you won’t be able to get rid of me. I’m going to destroy you, Huang Renjun.”

Normally, Renjun would roll his eyes at Jaemin, but instead he felt his body shiver hopelessly, his head falling to the side. As Renjun began to squirm in Jeno’s lap, his body heating up severely, Jeno reached out and smacked Jaemin across the top of his head.

“You just triggered his heat, dumbass.”

“Well, I meant it!”

“Please,” Renjun begged, his voice small but Jeno simply shook his head no and laid him down to rest.

“Drink some water and nap, I promise you’ll get what you want when you wake up.” Jaemin conceded, kissing the underside of Renjun’s jaw before tucking him in.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Renjun’s eyes became large and shot pleading looks towards Jaemin. Hands outstretched, Renjun grabbed at the air in Jaemin’s direction begging him to come back. Chuckling, Jaemin shook his head as Jeno returned with a cup of water to give to Renjun.

“I was going to get you a snack.”

“No, I’m… come here. Please.” Renjun swallowed down the water as he was quickly enveloped on both sides by either of his alphas. “Good.”

“So demanding,” Jaemin joked, getting a low growl from Renjun who turned and wrapped his naked legs around Jaemin’s own and began to bite his shoulder harshly.

“Ow! What the fuck!”

“He’s in heat; he’s more primal. Plus, you deserved it.”

“Did not,” Jaemin pouted, rubbing his shoulder as Renjun now nestled his way deeper into the furs.

“Okay, you’re right I’m sleepy,” Renjun yawned, stretching his arms above his head before letting them fall down at his sides.

“Rest, love,” Jeno spoke gently, running his knuckle across Renjun’s cheek.

“Okay, okay,” Renjun conceded, wiggling to get comfortable between the two alphas. “This is going to be a long heat isn’t it?”

“I sure hope so—ow!”


	28. Chapter 28

Turning over, Renjun snuggled up into the soft warmth next to him. The scent of citrus bathed over him, delighting his senses. Stretching his arms above his head, Renjun began to scowl at the aches deep in his abdomen unable to keep in the unhappy huff that escaped his lips. 

“Hurts, baby?” Jeno’s gravely voice vibrated from next to him, as Renjun snuggled deeper into the alpha’s broad back.

“Mmmmmhmm,” Renjun whined, letting himself wriggle uncomfortably. A deep need rang throughout his body, making his limbs tingle and a pang of want travel throughout his body. 

“Awake, my loves?” Jaemin called out softly from the doorway entrance to their room. 

“Nana,” Renjun pouted as he turned onto his back, letting his arms reach out towards the other as his hands began to grab at the empty air. “I’m hungry and my stomach aches and this sucks,” he whined, knowing he sounded particularly pathetic. 

Jaemin snickered, rolling his eyes as he headed over to the two on the bed while Jeno turned his body in order to grab Renjun’s much smaller frame and pull him against his side. Releasing his breath, Jeno scented Renjun’s neck deeply. Nipping lightly at his ear, Jeno playfully growled making Renjun try and pry himself away from the alpha’s arms. 

“Noooooo,” Renjun spoke softly, wiggling in Jeno’s arms. 

“You’re both a mess,” Jaemin teased, pulling the furs covering the two back and off their bodies, instantly making Renjun shiver as the air hit his bare skin. 

“Nana,” Renjun groaned, shaking in Jeno’s arms as Jaemin encircled him from the other side of the bed, squishing him between the two before pulling the covers up and over them again. “Food,” Renjun grunted out, his face squished between the pelts. 

“What do you want, baby?” 

“Dunno, ugh,” Renjun’s words got cut off, his stomach rolling with pain and hunger. 

“Are you fully in heat yet?” Jeno asked softly, pushing Renjun’s hair off of his forehead. 

“Almost.” 

“Yeah, your scent is getting  _ really  _ strong.” 

“Smells good,” Jeno whispered into Renjun’s hair. 

“Foooooooood,” he grunted, squirming. 

“Okay, Jeno go get the baby some food.” 

“I’m not a fucking baby.” 

“But, you’re our baby,” Jaemin cooed, grabbing his cheeks and pushing them together cutely. 

“Ugh,” Renjun wriggled free of their hold, sitting up and letting the furs pool around his waist. Grabbing his stomach, Renjun let his head fall forward onto the bed, bending over in half. “Please?” 

“Of course, of course,” Jaemin reassured Renjun, crawling out of the bed and hurrying down the hallway to their kitchen. Jeno sat up next to Renjun, stretching his arms up, the muscles in his abdomen stretching and moving in a way that sent Renjun’s mind reeling as he peeked at him out of the corner of his eye. Jaemin returned quickly, snacks in hand, and jumped on top of the bed, his shorts loosely hanging around his hips. 

Being sandwiched between them was doing unspeakable things to Renjun, and when Jaemin leaned over and began feeding him, he felt the temperature in the room skyrocket. 

“Ughnn,” Renjun doubled over, a thin sheen of sweat lining his forehead and upper lip as he quickly threw the furs off of himself and splayed himself out backwards. With the back of his hand resting on his forehead, Renjun clutched his stomach with the other as pains rocketed through him, intensified by the burning sensation of his skin. 

It wasn’t long before wetness began to slick up between his thighs, and although Renjun had barely eaten anything, his focus had shifted entirely. The scents of both Jeno and Jaemin intensified to insane levels, surrounding him on all sides. As he drowned in the delicious pheromones that encompassed him, Renjun felt himself being maneuvered by strong, large hands. 

“Renjun?” Jaemin’s voice barely broke through the bubble of heat that wrapped Renjun tightly in its grasp. 

A low groan fell past Renjun’s lips while his legs were pried open by Jaemin. Slick coated his inner thighs, sending goosebumps traveling up his skin as his legs were parted and hit with the air of the room. Licking his way up Renjun’s thigh, Jaemin’s hooded eyes stared him down making his body quake with want. 

“My turn,” Jaemin gruffly spoke as he pulled Renjun by his ankles down towards the end of the bed before bending his legs up to reveal his hole completely to the other. Diving forward, Jaemin began to devour Renjun, licking across his wet, puckered rim. A lewd moan ripped its way from Renjun’s throat at the stimulation. 

Laving his way across his skin, Jaemin sucked at Renjun’s rim, licking the sweet slick up from where he was leaking. Hands carded their way through Renjun’s hair from behind him as his skin slowly began to sting less from the heat as Jaemin worked his way through Renjun’s muscle, tonguing inside of him. 

“Jaem,” Renjun breathed, his eyes rolling inside the back of his head as the other’s slender fingers began to join beside his tongue, stretching him slightly. The fullness felt amazing, and Renjun could tell that he was still slightly stretched from the activities he and Jeno had gotten up to earlier that day. 

“Hm,” Jaemin hummed in response, sending small vibrations across Renjun’s skin. 

Leaning back, Jaemin wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before pressing forward and letting his middle and pointer fingers sink further into Renjun’s heat, making his back arch up into Jeno’s touch. Swooping down, Jeno captured Renjun’s left nipple into his mouth as Jaemin picked up the speed with which he fingered Renjun, impatience seeping into his movements. 

“Ah, ah, ah, ah,” soft, whispering moans were punched from Renjun’s body with each thrust of Jaemin’s fingers as he opposite hand slipped beneath his shorts to grab his hardened length and begin to stroke it beneath the clothing. 

Hooking his fingers upwards, Jaemin hit Renjun’s prostate dead-on making him gasp harshly and began trying to squirm away. Jeno’s hands left Renjun’s hair as he leaned up to reach down and pin Renjun’s lithe waist to the bed with his hands so thatJaemin could continue to fuck into him harshly. Renjun’s length drooled onto his stomach, dripping in precome as his brows furrowed and his eyes smashed closed together. Grabbing Jeno’s forearms, Renjun hung on for dear life as Jaemin stared down at him like he was his prey. 

“Ready for me, baby?” Jaemin sighed as his hands hooked into his shorts and thrust them downwards and kicked them off of his body. Unable to respond, Renjun simply nodded his head yes in anticipation. Jaemin’s length slapped up against his stomach, and Renjun’s scent amplified throughout the room at the sight. 

“Fuck, you smell so good,” Jeno hissed through his teeth, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of Renjun’s sides keeping him in place. 

Inching forwards on his knees, Jaemin aligned himself with Renjun’s quivering heat before pushing inside with a small amount of pressure, careful to not hurt him. Sinking into Renjun’s opening, Jaemin threw his head back at the feeling, Renjun’s back arching in return. 

“Full,” Renjun gasped out as Jaemin got slightly over half way inside of him before pulling right back out to the tip, letting it catch on his rim before delving back inside of him. Renjun’s heat radiated off of his skin, as slick continued to cover both he and Jaemin from where they were joined. 

“Shit,” Jaemin seethed as his hips stuttered forward faster, Renjun’s body sucking him in greedily. 

“Ahh- '' Renjun's voice got choked off as Jaemin angled Renjun’s hips upwards to pound directly into his prostate. Mouth hanging open, Renjun let his head hang to the side as he continued to get fucked by Jaemin. The way Jaemin snapped his hips forward was much more aggressive than how Jeno had handled him before, and Renjun’s body was thankful for it. 

Feeling warmth thrum underneath his skin, Renjun’s eyes lazily opened as his body got rocked into Jeno’s hold. Leaning down to capture his lips, Jaemin kissed Renjun deeply as the resounding slaps of their skin echoed throughout the room. Tiny breaths and gasps left Renjun’s mouth, the puffs of air releasing into Jaemin’s open mouth as he fucked him consistently. 

“Want your knot,” Renjun gasped into Jaemin’s mouth, making the alpha growl in return, picking his speed up. Jeno let go of Renjun to touch himself, stroking his length to the beat of Jaemin’s thrusts. 

“You sure, baby?” Jaemin stalled inside of Renjun, grinding forward the beginnings of his knot catching on his rim. Whining, Renjun began to try and wiggle his way down onto Jaemin’s knot, twisting his hips to try and get it inside of him. 

“Jun, be careful,” Jeno said, swooping down to kiss Renjun’s lips before stalling his hips. 

“Fucking give me it,” Renjun demanded, his heat craving the fullness that would come from being knotted by his alpha. 

“Be patient, love,” Jaemin chuckled, slowly pressing himself further inside as he tightly clung to Renjun making sure he didn’t become too overeager and hurt himself. His breaths stuttering, Renjun couldn’t help but to clench down involuntarily as Jaemin’s knot began to stretch him further than he had ever been taken before. 

“Ah,” Renjun moaned when the not quite yet fully formed knot slipped past his muscle and inside. Jaemin cursed lowly at the sensation, circling his hips slowly to make sure Renjun was nice and stretched as his knot quickly expanded. 

“Okay?” Jaemin asked as Jeno scooted down towards Jaemin to kiss him slightly before checking on Renjun. 

“Mhm. Big,” Renjun spoke as Jaemin continued to expand within him, making his thighs shake from the pressure. Jeno ducked down and began to suck at Renjun’s side, making him with hickey’s up and across his chest, trying to distract him from the intense stretch. 

Swallowing Renjun’s small length down, Jeno swirled his tongue around the tip of his weeping cock making the smaller groan lewdly. Jaemin sat back on his heels, continuing to grind inside of Renjun, making sure there was constant pressure on his prostate. 

Deep thrums of arousal simmered in Renjun’s stomach, and when Jeno swallowed him down whole, he felt his abdomen begin to clench and tighten from the dual sensations. His arousal was a tight string on the verge of snapping. 

“Jeno, if you don’t stop,” Renjun’s sentence broke off with a gasp as Jeno sucked deeply at the head of his length. “I’m gonna-- I’m close…” Shallowly thrusting his knot into Renjun, Jaemin let his head fall forward. 

“Me too, baby. Me too,” Jaemin agreed, humping him desperately. 

Jeno took Renjun all the way down and into his throat, and Renjun’s hands shot up to tangle themselves into Jeno’s hair, hanging on for dear life. Thrusting into his mouth shallowly, Renjun felt the pressure in his stomach come to a head and finally snap. Coming down Jeno’s throat made Renjun clench tightly around Jaemin’s throbbing knot, making him begin to spill forward as well. 

Locked together, Renjun looked down to see Jaemin’s face completely scrunched up in blissed out pleasure. Jeno retracted himself from Renjun’s now spent length, and as he moved away from his body and they both looked down, Renjun saw a small bump distended from his lower belly where Jaemin rested inside of him. 

“Oh shit, Jaem look,” Jeno’s voice came out gravely and deep before Jaemin’s eyes popped open and he peeked down at where he bulged in Renjun’s stomach. 

“Oh Goddess,” Jaemin groaned, his eyes rolling back into his head as he gave a whimpering Renjun a few more thrusts until he was fully spent and locked inside of the omega for good. 

“How do you feel, Jun,” Jeno whispered, extending his hand to push down on the bulge experimentally, making both Renjun and Jaemin moan loudly and in tandem. “That good, huh,” Jeno smiled playfully. 

“Nono, come here,” Jaemin breathed out, directly Jeno to straddle Renjun’s waist. Arching his back downwards, Jaemin took Jeno’s length into his mouth and quickly began to lick and suck across his arousal. Jeno pushed his torso out and up and Renjun wished he could see the display from the front, especially when Jeno began to breathily moan Jaemin’s name. 

It wasn’t long until Jeno was spilling into Jaemin’s mouth the way Renjun had just done to him not too long ago. Climbing off of Renjun, Jeno laid down, exhausted, next to the two. Jaemin, carefully wrapping his arms around Renjun, shifted them so that they laid down facing one another on their sides. 

“How do you feel, Junnie?” Jaemin asked, cradling him in his arms as he hooked one of Renjun’s legs up and over his hip. 

“Really full,” Renjun’s eyes began to blink sleepily, his omega completely satiated and happy. When Jeno began to nuzzle his neck from behind and place delicate kisses across his nape, he could feel his wolf rumbling in happiness, almost purring. 

“Satisfied?” Jeno giggled, teasing him as they could both smell the contented omega pheremones being released off of his skin. 

“Yes,” Renjun yawned, snuggling forward towards Jaemin before stopping suddenly at the pull of the alpha’s knot. “Oh Goddess,” he groaned deeply, swiveling his hips uncomfortably. 

“You okay?” Jaemin asked, concern dripping in his voice. 

“Just… you’re big,” Renjun whispered, leaning his head against Jaemin’s bare chest, nipping lovingly at his collarbones. “Smell good.” 

“You’re so cute when you’re in heat, oh my Goddess,” Jaemin cooed, making Renjun bite harder on his shoulder. Jaemin yelped, jostling his knot inside Renjun which made him whimper. 

“Stop teasing him, Jaem,” Jeno tried to scold, his voice coming out far too cheerful to be upset. Tracing his fingertips up Renjun’s back lightly, Jeno began to dig his fingers into the muscle of his shoulders. “You sure you’re okay?” 

“Yeah. Just full. I’m so lucky,” Renjun droned on, tiredness veiling over his eyes. “Love you both. Both are the best alphas. Hm.” 

“Cute,” was the last thing Renjun heard before he passed out between the two people he loved. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter because I had to completely rewrite it after my laptop crashed completely (:


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for coming along this ride.

“It still feels weird,” Renjun whispered into Jaemin’s neck as he walked hand and hand with Jeno right beside them. Reaching up, Renjun let his fingertips ghost over the puckered skin on his neck. Two mating bites rested one above the other, right where his scent gland was.

“You mean amazing?” Jaemin snickered, his smile large as he spun about in the field that they were currently walking through. He and Jeno had accompanied Renjun on his run that morning and now they had just finished gathering the berries that Renjun needed to make Ten a set of jams. 

Renjun wanted to surprise Ten with their mating bites since he had been egging Renjun on to complete their mating for a few weeks now. 

Their days had passed so peacefully that Renjun was surprised that it had been almost two months since he was brought back from the White Pack. He spent day in and day out with the loves of his life, falling asleep in their embraces every night. He and his mother were on great terms, and he often helped out at the daycare for the pups of the pack when he wasn’t training with Ten. 

Renjun was starting to become used to the sight of Ten being rolled around in a chair. It wasn’t long after Ten’s release from the healing center that they realized that having Johnny carry him everywhere wasn’t going to be a stable form of transportation for very long. Sicheng had worked together with Kun to craft a rolling chair for Ten to sit in that he could push around himself or someone else could help him. 

Most of the time now, Ten would show up to their practices alone and in his chair. And he definitely had no problems coaching Renjun or the other wolves for that matter. Ten had gone back to his position as instructor, and everything had slowly begun to feel normal after he was back in his rightful place. 

On multiple occasions, Renjun would accidentally spy Ten and Taeyong out in the training field, Taeyong on his lap in his chair as they shared a very intimate kiss. Renjun refused to admit how adorable it was. 

“Renjun!” A booming voice echoed from across the trees once the three of them broke back into the main pack territory. Donghyuck, face flushed, was sprinting full force over towards them, not slowing one bit even as he barrelled closer and closer. 

Crashing to the ground due to the impact of Donghyuck’s body, the air from Renjun’s lungs whooshed out of him. His hand got separated from Jeno’s hand while Jaemin quickly began to laugh loudly at the strange display. 

“Mark officially asked to start courting me. Oh my Goddess, Renjun. I’m putting out tonight, I swear it-”

“Ergh, Donghyuck, TMI.” 

“Shut up, we’ve seen each other in heat,” Donghyuck scoffed before sitting back on his heels, his cheeks split in a wide grin. “But seriously, he _just_ asked and I had to tell you and, wait-” 

Head swiveling around, Donghyuck looked as though a thought struck him.

“Hyuck?” Renjun asked before the other slapped a hand over his mouth.

“I just realized I didn’t even respond before I ran off!” Donghyuck panic whispered. A few moments of silence passed before the three of them broke out into giggles, laughing at the way Donghyuck scrambled to stand up and race off in the direction from which he came. 

“So excited, he left Mark completely hanging. I feel bad for him,” Jeno’s eyes scrunched in happiness. 

“It’s about time,” Jaemin added on, shaking his head. 

“We all knew it was coming,” Renjun tacked on at the end. “They both deserve happiness with each other.”

“Aw, my baby is getting sentimental,” Jaemin cooed, pinching Renjun’s cheek who quickly batted away his hand. 

“Shut up.”

Jumping on the balls of his feet in excitement, Renjun knocked once more on the large door to Johnny, Taeyong, and Ten’s cabin. He could hear shuffling coming from inside, and when the door creaked open to reveal a bed-head, disheveled Johnny, Renjun couldn’t stifle his giggle. 

“Oh, Renjun! Hey there,” Johnny smiled, his eyes sparkling. Before Renjun even had a moment to open his mouth, Johnny’s eyes spotted his mating marks on his neck, his hand flying up to his mouth in shock. “Oh my Goddess! Congratulations!” Johnny came forward to give Renjun a crushing hug, the jars of jams he had been carrying with him getting smooshed between the two. 

“Y-Yeah,” Renjun nervously giggled. “I came to show Ten. Is he here?” 

“Are you worried?” Johnny cocked his head to the side as he stepped back from Renjun, his hands resting on top of the other’s shoulders. 

“Well, I just want Ten to approve, you know? And it kind of happened out of nowhere, and I’m scared he might be upset that I haven’t already told him since it’s almost been a whole day, and-”

“Is that Renjun?” Ten’s voice hollered from behind Johnny, whose whole face lit up at the sound of his mate. 

“Yeah! He has something to show you, babe.” Stepping back, Johnny opened the door fully to show Ten rolling himself along in his chair. There was a look of mischievousness in both of their eyes that Renjun didn’t have time to process. 

“Hey, Jun Jun. What’s up?” Ten traveled back into their cabin in his chair, making space for Renjun to enter. Shutting the door behind him, Johnny walked over to his mate and placed his hands on the back of Ten’s chair. 

“First, here,” Renjun crossed the small distance to hand Ten his two jars of jams he had made. Small string ribbons were tied around each one, and Renjun could tell that Ten loved them right away. 

“Renjun! This is so sweet of you!” Ten marveled over them for a moment, before narrowing his eyes and shooting Renjun a stern look. “You’re not trying to apologize for doing something bad, are you?” 

“No, no, no!” Renjun sputtered, his hands coming up in defense. “I just, um, tah dah?” Renjun tilted his head slightly, showcasing his marks. Gasping, Ten brought his hand up to his mouth, his eyes immediately becoming shiny. 

“Oh, Renjun. That’s so wonderful,” Ten spoke in awe, craning his head to get a better look. Seeing Ten become emotional hit Renjun like a brick wall. The obvious approval of his mentor meant the world to Renjun, so when Ten smiled sweetly at him, Renjun began to sniffle. 

“Renjun? Are you okay?” Johnny asked before Ten hit him lightly in the stomach with the back of his hand. 

“This is a huge moment, Johnny! Let him be emotional,” Ten spoke, his voice slightly nasally as the first few tears rolled down his cheeks. “Come here,” Ten stretched his arms out indicating that he wanted a hug. 

Leaning down, Renjun embraced the other, his back bent awkwardly due to the chair. But, Renjun didn’t care. 

“I’m so happy for you,” Ten whispered into Renjun’s hair, placing a soft kiss to the crown of his head. 

Overwhelming joy and love rocketed into Renjun, and he couldn’t believe just how lucky and blessed he truly was. His life had become something he had never dreamed could happen. 

“Thank you,” Renjun sniffled. 

“I have a surprise, too,” Ten commented, pulling Renjun off of him. Ten looked up at Johnny nodding his head to signal something that Renjun didn’t understand.

“Are you sure? Kun said-”

“I don’t care what Kun said, now bring me the damn thing.” Ten demanded, a pout on his face. Sighing, Johnny walked off down their hallway away from them both.

“Um, Ten?”

“You’ll see,” Ten’s eyes shined from unshed tears. 

When Johnny returned, he had a large stick in his hand that he handed to Ten. Giving Johnny the two jars of jams, Ten took the thick stick and looked at Renjun with determination. 

“Renjun, can you back up a bit?”

“Sure?” 

Confusion was written all across Renjun’s face as Ten closed his eyes and furrowed his brow deeply. Placing the stick on the ground, Ten grunting forcefully, the sound laced with pain. Johnny reached out towards Ten who quickly dismissed him with a wave of his hand. 

“I’m fine.” Ten whispered, breathless. 

Putting his weight back onto the stick once more, Ten’s eyebrows drew downwards in focus. Soft panting came from Ten as small twinges of pain registered in his facial expression. Renjun stood in hesitancy, still quite puzzled as to what was going on. 

Leaning his body forward, Ten’s arms began to wobble, along with his legs--

His legs. 

Renjun’s eyes widened as he took in the scene before him. Ten was slowly standing up on his feet, his back bent forward over the stick for support. Johnny was close behind him, arms outstretched and ready to catch him if need be. Renjun could feel his heart pounding in his ears, his blood racing in genuine surprise. So many thoughts zoomed through his mind at once, that Renjun was having trouble processing everything happening. 

_Is he…_

Silent tears streamed down either of Renun’s cheeks as Ten finally stood completely erect. Although he was obviously in pain, his face had a smile on it. Winking at Renjun, Ten breathed out before lowering himself back down to sit in his chair. 

“Surprise!” He said, breathing heavily from exertion. 

“Ten, you-- Ten--” Renjun sobbed, burying his face in his hands. Shoulders shaking, Renjun heard the sound of Ten’s chair being rolled towards him. 

“Don’t cry, Renjun. This is a great thing! Please don’t cry; I didn’t mean to make you-” Throwing himself at Ten, Renjun wrapped himself in his lap as he nuzzled into where Ten’s scent was the strongest. 

“I’m so--” Renjun’s words got cut off on a sob, “happy for you.” 

“Oh, sweetheart,” Ten chuckled, letting his hands run through Renjun’s hair. 

“I’m happy, too.” 

Renjun dove head first into the glistening lagoon. Breaking through the surface of the water, he heard Jaemin splash his way into the water behind him. The moon reflected prettily back onto their faces, giving them just enough light to be able to see in the dead of night. 

The three of them had snuck out into the forest to revisit the lagoon, one of the first places Renjun had ever truly felt safe in. 

Arms wrapped around Renjun’s waist as a chaste kiss was stolen from him by Jeno. Blinking upwards, Jeno’s moon crescent eyes stared back down at him, a halo of stars twinkling behind him. Popping his head up over Jeno’s shoulder, Jaemin slung his arms around Jeno’s neck. 

“This night is gorgeous,” Jeno murmured, his eyes still locked onto Renjun’s own. 

“Hm, yeah the view isn’t half bad,” Jaemin commented, eyeing both Jeno and Renjun’s bodies up and down making Renjun scoff.

“You’re a menace.”

“A menace that you love.” Renjun couldn’t combat that because he did love him. He was so deeply in love with the two of them, it felt as if his soul sang whenever he was near them. 

Backing up, Jeno turned around to give Jaemin a soft kiss. When they parted, they shared a look of such adoration, that it made Renjun’s heart constrict inside of his chest. Jeno brought his hand up to thumb at Jaemin’s cheek, who leaned into the other’s touch. 

“Love you,” Jeno whispered to Jaemin before turning over his shoulder and smiling at Renjun. “Love you.” 

“Love you both,” Renjun spoke, his voice coming out raspy and full of emotion. 

The waterfall behind them cascaded loudly into the pool where they swam. Besides the night melody of the forest, it was the only sound surrounding them. The three all shared loving touches as they counted the stars. 

Things went on that way until Renjun’s fingers and toes became pruny, and even then he was loathe to leave the most beautiful feeling he had felt in so long. Moonlight highlighted Jeno’s features, his lips and nose creating a shadow on his cheeks. On his other side, the moon did wonders for Jaemin’s eyes, making them light up as bright as the stars themselves. 

Renjun swore he could feel their heartbeats sync up in that moment, in the moonlight. 

Their love was palpable, and Renjun was looking forward to being able to feel it for the rest of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you.
> 
> I have started JohnTaeTen's spinoff story already! Feel free to read what I have thus far.

**Author's Note:**

> A kudos and comment a day helps keep the writer's block at bay! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
> 
> So, what do you think? 
> 
> Feel free to tell me on either my [Twitter ](https://twitter.com/tenspetal) or [Curious Cat!](https://curiouscat.qa/tenspetal)


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